


Part of the Story~Halloween Special

by TwilightSiren



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band), Stray Kids (Band), Wanna One (Band), X1 (Korea Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Amusement Parks, Angst, Books, Death, Evil, Hurt, Magic, Minor Injuries, Murder, Murder Mystery, Museums, Mystery, Pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-01-05 04:09:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 32,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21207161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightSiren/pseuds/TwilightSiren
Summary: Life can be boringSometimes you need to do some things in order to cure your boredomThat includes dragging some idols into a fun little adventureWhat could possibly go wrong?It's not like they could get hurt or die or anythingOh, wait, they can...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's finally here! I've been working on this story for a while now and it's finally here. It's a special Halloween story with kpop idols. I've worked really hard on this, so I hope you enjoy. Just a reminder, that this is an AU and none of the happenings in this story are real. Also, mild warnings, throughout the story there are mentions of injuries and blood. I hope that you enjoy. I'll be posting a new chapter everyday. This boom is also crossposted on Wattpad, so if you could give it some love there as well it would be appreciated. Now, let's get into it.

An unknown lady sits in a chair and stares up at the ceiling. "I'm bored..." She mutters before slowly standing to her feet. She walks over to her bookshelf and grabs a large leather bound book. She runs her finger along the spine of it as she brings it over to a table. She sets it down and opens it up. She flips through the blank pages nonchalantly, as she mutters unidentifiable words under her breath. She smiles satisfied with her work before grabbing a handheld mirror that sits on the desk. "Let's see who my characters will be this year," She says, staring at the mirror that starts to shine a bright light. 

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Jungkook sighs as he spins around in his swivel chair. He has nothing to do. The group had just recently came back from hiatus and they've been hard at work preparing for their upcoming concert. It was nice to get back into it. Practice went smoothly and they were able to come back home early. Hence the reason, Jungkook is bored. He clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth, spinning on the chair again. As he spins, he notices an oddly colored letter sitting on his side table. He frowns, not knowing how it had gotten there. He places his foot on the floor to stop himself from spinning. Jungkook stands from the chair and moves to grab the letter. Once it's in his hands, he tears it open and pulls out a note, as well as a brownish piece of paper that seems to have been ripped. Jungkook reads the note and can't help, but feel his curiosity peak as he does. The contents of the note are interesting, to say the least. "To whom it may concern..." Jungkook starts to read.

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Sungwoon walks back to his home after wrapping up a variety show shoot. As he nears his place, he spots the mailman standing in front of his house. Sungwoon slowly approaches the man and looks at him with raised eyebrows. Before he can ask the guy a question, he sticks his hand out and shoves an envelope close to Sungwoon's face. Sungwoon blinks in surprise, but carefully takes the letter. The mailman doesn't say anything as he does and proceeds to walk away. Sungwoon shakes his head, confused as to why the mailman was acting so weird. He looks down at the envelope in his hand and ponders who it could be from. He sets his belongings onto the floor and rips open the envelope. The items are the same and Sungwoon starts to read the letter, "I am holding a gathering later today...I'm invited?" 

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Hyeongjun closes the fridge with a smile on his face. He grabs onto the cheese stick he took from the fridge and takes a bite out of it. The dorms are fairly empty, all of his hyungs busy with some sort of schedule and Dohyun is probably getting a bite to eat. He moves to sit down and notices a stack of letters on the dining table. On top of the stack is a bright blue envelope with his name written on it in pretty curls. Hyeongjun's eyes light up, wondering who could've possibly sent him a letter. He puts the cheese stick down and grabs the letter with shining eyes. He carefully tears it open and pulls out two sheets of paper. "It would be absolutely splendid if you could join," Hyeongjun says out loud, reading the paper, "Ooooooooo! I've been invited to a party! This is so cool!"

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Jisung taps his pen against his notebook, trying to come up with a better word for the lyrics he's currently writing. He hums the tune for the song and scribbles something on his notebook, only to cross it out a second later. He reads over what he's written so far, muttering under his breath. He sighs as he scratches his head and leans back in his seat. As he does so, he is able to catch something being slid under the door. His eyes widen and he lets his seat legs touch the floor again. He eyes the envelope for a second before standing up and bending down to grab it. He doesn't hesitate to open it up and pull out the items inside. "There will be games to play and snacks being served," Jisung reads, "Hm...snacks sound great...maybe I should go..." 

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Jihoon clicks around with a couple of tracks, repositioning it and changing them. He purses his lips, listening to the song again. He moves his mouse around, his eyes not moving from the screen. His studio remains silent except for the occasional click from Jihoon's finger pressing the mouse. Suddenly, there is a knock on the door. Jihoon tilts his head towards the door and sees Seungcheol peeping into room. He gestures for him to come in and the leader does. "What you up to?" Seungcheol asks. 

"Trying to work on a new song," Jihoon says, "Did you need something?"

"Nah, I just came to give this to you," Seungcheol says, holding up a letter. 

Jihoon's brow furrows as he looks at it, "Who's it from?"

"No idea," Seungcheol answers. Jihoon nods and takes the envelope from Seungcheol. He opens it swiftly and slips the two pieces of paper out of the envelope. Seungcheol stands behind Jihoon, reading over his shoulder. "You have no need to worry about your schedules, I have done the favor of clearing it out for you. Please try to keep this event on the down low. It would be best if not many found out about it," Jihoon mutters. 

"I cannot wait to see you there," Seungcheol continues reading, "Please bring the other paper with you and it will act as your invitation to the party. The location is 6 Miracle Avenue at 6 pm. Hope to see you all there. Is this some kind of joke?"

"I don't know," Jihoon says, "There's no signature. Nothing except for this weird paper." He hands the paper to Seungcheol, who looks at it with confusion. "It doesn't say anything though...except for this one word..." Seungcheol mutters, "Why would they only invite you though? The company never mentioned something like this either." 

"Your guess would be as good as mine. I'm just as confused as you are," Jihoon says. 

Seungcheol nods, handing the paper back to Jihoon, "You're not going, are you?" Jihoon doesn't answer for a second, thinking. "Are you actually considering going?" Seungcheol asks, "You don't know who it came from. It could be dangerous."

"It sounds interesting," Jihoon shrugs, "It's clearly someone who knows me. How else would they have been able to send the letter?" 

"You actually want to go to the gathering of some complete stranger. Does this not sound like a horror movie to you?" Seungcheol exclaims. 

Jihoon rolls his eyes, "Don't be like that. It'll be fine."

"Jihoon, this isn't some joke," Seungcheol says, "I can't just let you go to some random location because you find it intriguing." 

Jihoon scoffs, "You always complain about how I never get out and do anything fun. The one time I'm willing to do something, you want to stop me." 

"This isn't something fun," Seungcheol, "This could lead to something really bad."

"You know what, I'm going," Jihoon states firmly.

"Are you just trying to annoy me?" Seungcheol frowns, "What's wrong with you? Why are you so adamant on going? This isn't like you, Jihoonie..." Jihoon doesn't answer him and proceeds to focus on his computer. He saves his work and exits out of the system he's using. Seungcheol continues to attempt to convince Jihoon, to no avail. The younger just ignores him, turning off his computer and getting ready to leave. "Jihoon!" Seungcheol exclaims. 

"What?" Jihoon asks, turning to face Seungcheol. 

Seungcheol crosses his arms and shakes his head, "You trust me, don't you? If you do, don't go."

"I do trust you, but do you trust me?" Jihoon asks, "Nothing bad is going to happen. I know it. I trust the letter and whoever gave it to me. I feel it deep down. I'm going to be okay, so just let me go."

Seungcheol sighs, "I trust you too, but I'm really worried, Jihoonie." Jihoon looks to the older and sees the concern painted across his face. Jihoon sighs and softens a little, "Come with me than. Nothing bad can happen when we're together, right?" Seungcheol's eyes widen, not expecting for the invitation to be stretched to him. He nods a second later, "I'll come, but only to make sure you stay safe. The second things start to go haywire, we're leaving."

"They won't..." Jihoon starts.

Seungcheol glares at him, "Jihoon..."

"Fine, if things start to feel off, we can leave," Jihoon says, "But, we're still going. C'mon, let's get ready." 

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Jungkook walks down the sidewalk, a small duffel bag thrown over his shoulder. He has glasses on his face and a mask on, but there isn't anyone else around to even notice the idol. He glances at his phone, making sure that he's headed in the right direction. As he nears the corner, he turns left and walks down the sidewalk. He keeps going until he comes to a small tea shop area. Jungkook checks the address given to him and nods his head when it matches up. He cracks open the door and is surprised to see just one table in a rather clustered sort of area. The table is in the center and loads of snacks are piled on top of it. There are also an assortment of colorful teacups, plates, teapots, and napkins. There's confetti all over the floor and a bunch of shelves stacked with items. There are stuffed animals on side tables and shining lamps that are different shapes. It looks crazily similar to Wonderland. The chairs are just as colorful and chaotic with streamers and balloons attached to each. There are a total of five around the table and four of those five are being sat in. Jungkook looks to the rest of the guests, recognizing a couple of their faces. The five boys all stand, seeing Jungkook. They greet him at the same time and Jungkook smiles introducing himself as well. He moves to the empty seat and sits down. Jungkook looks around, not knowing what to expect next. He looks at the others and they seem to be having similar thoughts. "You all got invited too?" Jungkook speaks up. The group all nod except for Seungcheol. "I just tagged along," He explains, "That's why Jihoonie is currently sitting on top of me. I didn't want to take your seat."

"Oh, I can just stand..." Jungkook says, "If you want to sit down..."

"Oh, no, it's fine, Jungkook-ssi..." Seungcheol says, "I'm pretty comfortable."

Jihoon rolls his eyes, "He just wants to be able to make a quick exit if things get a bit dangerous. This way he can pick me up and just run us out of this place..." Seungcheol flashes Jihoon an offended look, but doesn't argue with his statement. "What is this place?" Jisung asks.

Hyeongjun shrugs, "I don't know. It's pretty though."

"Yeah...pretty," Sungwoon mutters, "Isn't it a bit weird? Why were only five of us invited? Why were we supposed to keep this on the down low? Who sent us that letter? What does this paper mean?!" Sungwoon places the browned paper onto the table and the others look to it with wide eyes. They reach into their pockets and pull out similar papers. They lay them flat on the table. "The person said it was our way in," Jungkook says, "It makes sense for us to all have one." 

"But, they're all different," Hyeongjun comments. Jungkook opens his mouth to refute that statement, but his mouth slowly closes as he notices the difference between each of the notes. Each paper has a single world sprawled in the center. The word is different for each paper. "Is it supposed to mean something?" Seungcheol asks. 

Jisung frowns, "They're just pieces of paper...right?" Sungwoon stares at the papers and starts to grab everyone else's. No one questions him, watching him do whatever it is that he's doing. Sungwoon shuffles the paper around moving them until they form a sentence of sorts. The group watch in awe as it starts to make sense. Sort of. "Thanks for joining the story," Jihoon reads aloud. 

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hyeongjun says, "What story?" Suddenly, there's a loud clicking sound that echoes throughout the tea shop. The group freeze, not knowing what that noise is. "Is anyone else getting an eerie feeling or is it just me?" Seungcheol mutters. 

"It's not just you," Jungkook states, "What was that sound?" 

"It kind of sounded like a door lock," Jisung pipes up. The group tense, their eyes landing on the front door. They all stand from their seats and walk over to the door. Sungwoon, being the closest, twists the door knob. He frowns when it doesn't budge, "It won't open."

"What do you mean it won't open?!" Hyeongjun exclaims, "Are we trapped?"

"There's no way...maybe it's just jammed," Jungkook says. Sungwoon steps to the side, allowing Jungkook to give the door a try. Jungkook's face furrows as he tries to get the door to open, but to no avail. "We're stuck in here..." Jihoon says. 

"That's not possible...there has to be a way to get out!" Jungkook exclaims, "This was just supposed to be a gathering. Not some escape room..."

"Maybe, this is a hidden camera!" Jisung says, "Maybe, we have to play it out like it is an escape room!" 

Seungcheol's eyes narrow, "Or some evil ploy to get us trapped..."

"You may be into something, Jisung," Jungkook says, "Alright...let's look around for something then. A key possibly." The group disperse, looking around the cluttered tea shop. Jungkook shuffles through the stuffed animals while Sungwoon checks the bookshelves. Hyeongjun and Jisung are going through the side tables. Jihoon and Seungcheol search the main table. Seungcheol looks around nervously, nudging Jihoon as they search for a clue of some sorts. "We need to get out of here, Jihoonie. This is what I meant when I said something bad," Seungcheol says. 

Jihoon nods, "I know, but we can't with the door locked. We'll leave as soon as we find a way to get the door open." 

Suddenly, Hyeongjun calls out, "I found something!" They crowd around the youngest, watching as he take the lampshade off and remove something taped onto the side off of it. "Is it a key?" Jungkook asks. Hyeongjun nods and takes it to the front door. He tries to stick it into the lock, but it doesn't seem to fit. "It doesn't work..." Hyeonjun mutters, "Did I find the wrong key?" 

"Maybe, that key goes to a different lock," Sungwoon suggests. 

"There aren't any other locks though," Seungcheol says. Jihoon looks around, trying to find something he may have missed in the colorful tea shop. There has to be another lock for this key. The group spread out again, searching for a lock or maybe different key. Jihoon watches as they move around, trying to make sense of the situation. He looks down to the notes on the table that they had rearranged. It has to mean something. "Thanks for joining the story..." Jihoon mutters, "Story...storybook...book...bookshelves..." Jihoon's eyes widen as an idea comes to him. He rushes over to the largest bookshelf in the tea shop. He pushes away the stuffed animals and other things near it. The others frown in confusion, not quite understanding what Jihoon is doing. They watch as Jihoon starts to push the bookshelf. As Jihoon pushes, the shelf starts to shift to the right, revealing a hidden door. The group gapes at the discovery. "How?" Jisung asks. 

"The notes that we all got. It mentioned a story. Story book. Bookshelf," Jihoon says, "This door has a keyhole too. Try it." Hyeongjun walks over to the door and sticks the key into the lock. He twists it and pushes the door open, revealing a hidden bathroom. "Do we go in?" Jungkook questions.

Seungcheol eyes it warily, "Are we going to get stuck in there too?"

"I don't know, but the key to get out of this place may be in there," Sungwoon says, "So, I'm going in." Sungwoon does exactly what he says, not waiting to see if the others follow. When he enters the bathroom, he sees a large book placed on top of the sink. He looks at it with a confused expression, looking around the rest of the bathroom. Except for the book, it's a normal bathroom. "There's nothing here..." Sungwoon murmurs, "Except..."

"That's a big book," Seungcheol comments as he walks into the bathroom, followed by the others. 

Sungwoon nods and cracks it open, "It's the only thing in this room, so I'm guessing it's something important." The others gather on both sides of him, trying to see if the book holds a clue. Sungwoon stares at the first page with confusion, it's blank. "That's weird...I expected there to be some note or something," Sungwoon says. 

"Maybe it's on another page," Jisung suggest. Sungwoon starts to flip through the rest of the pages, but all are blank. "This makes no sense. Why would they have this secret bathroom with a weird book in it, just for it to mean nothing?" Jungkook says. 

"We're missing something..." Hyeongjun says, "Can I see the book?" Sungwoon steps aside, letting the youngest get closer to the book. Hyeongjun closes it and opens it again. He looks at the first page and the binding of the book. "It's ripped," Hyeongjun says, running his finger across the part where a couple of pages had been teared. 

"So, we have to find the missing pages," Jihoon says, "And, that will help us...somehow..."

"We have the missing pages," Hyeongjun says, "It's the ones we got in the envelopes. It's the same type of paper as the one in this book." Jisung reacts instantly, rushing back to the table and grabbing the paper. He brings it to the bathroom and they all step aside. "I'm just going to line it up with the tears," Jisung says, placing the papers in a straight pile and placing it in the book. Suddenly, a bright purple light emits from the book. The group all shield their eyes and slowly take steps away from the book. When the light dies down, they all slowly drop their arms. They look to the book and are shocked to see the pages mended. It is almost as if they were never ripped to begin with. "What the heck!?" Jisung says with wide eyes. Jungkook moves to stand in front of the book and holds the pages that were once ripped. "It's like magic..." Hyeongjun says in awe. 

"Check the next page, Jungkook-ssi," Jihoon says. Jungkook nods and turns the pages that have attached themselves back into the book. His brow furrows when he sees a red arrow, painted in red paint, pointing downwards. "It looks like someone just painted it on," Jisung comments. Suddenly, Seungcheol gasps and his eyes widen. "It's not paint..." He mutters. 

"What?" Sungwoon says. Seungcheol points to the cabinet underneath the sink. There's a red liquid dripping from it and the group all gape at it. They take a couple of wary steps back. "What's in there?" Jisung asks. 

Jihoon bites his lip, "Only one way to find out." 

Hyeongjun shivers, "I don't like this. I don't like this..." Jihoon takes a step forward and carefully opens the cabinet. He basically flies backwards, hiding behind Seungcheol when he spots what's inside. The group all have similar reactions. Hyeongjun squeals and turns away from the contents. Jungkook and Sungwoon both look away in disgust. Jisung gags and Seungcheol covers his eyes. Inside of the cabinet is a dead body and around his neck is a key. "That is disgusting," Jisung says, "I think I'm going to be sick..."

"Uhhh, it smells too," Sungwoon says. 

Hyeongjun speaks through gritted teeth, "Close the cabinet...please. I can't stand to see that anymore..." 

"Not yet, there's a key around his neck," Jihoon says. 

Jungkook groans, "Great, anyone want to get it?" 

"I elect the eldest to do it!" Jisung calls out. Everyone's eyes land on Sungwoon, who lets out a sigh. "Fine, I'll do it," Sungwoon says, "Only cause I want to get out of here as fast as possible." Sungwoon creeps closer to the body and stretches out his hands. He grips the key and quickly slips it off the dead person's neck. He swiftly kicks the cabinet door shut and steps away from the sink. "Can we please get out of here now?" Hyeonjun begs. The others all nod, agreeing instantly. Suddenly, Sungwoon lets out a yell. They all turn to him to see the key glowing purple. The book glows as well and the group turn to look at it with surprise. "Ignore it," Seungcheol says, "We have the key. Let's just get out of here." 

Suddenly, a voice comes from the book, "I don't think so, you all accepted my invitation. You all willingly came here. Now you're a part of this. Even you, Choi Seungcheol, although I didn't want you at first. You may come to be an interesting character." The group all look at one another, trying to confirm if they heard the same thing. "I'm not losing it, right?" Jisung asks, "Cause that book freaking talked." The others all shake their heads and slowly move closer to the book. Seungcheol shakes his head, "It knows my name, why does it know my name!?" 

The book chuckles, "I know all your names. You cannot believe how happy I am that you all decided to come. This will surely be an exciting adventure."

"I'm sorry, but I never signed up for any adventure," Sungwoon says with a wary glance at the book. 

"Oh, but you did," The book says, "Now, come closer, I'll explain how this will all go." The group hesitates, but does as the book says. They are shocked to see the same words spoken to them seconds ago sprawled across the pages. Jungkook hesitantly slams the book shut, thinking it may stop the book from talking. It fails though as the books flies open again to a blank page. Words appear on the book again as the voice speaks, "Did you really believe that would work, Jeon Jungkook? I decide when the story ends. Not you. So, don't think about ending the story before it even begins..."

"What are you talking about?" Jihoon asks, "Who are you? What does this have to do with us?" 

"You five...now six are the characters for my new story," The book says, "You will play your parts and let the story happen. This book will guide you. You will do what it says. Do I make myself clear?"

"We're not playing a game," Jungkook states. 

The book chuckles, "It's not a game, Jungkook. It's very much real. Did you think that body was fake? Oh, no, it's as real as you and Mr. Song Hyeongjun over there." Hyeonjun shivers at the mention of his name and shies away from the book. "You will be taking part in a murder mystery," The book continues, "It will be fun."

"This doesn't sound like fun," Seungcheol says. 

"Well, no one asked you to come here, Seungcheol," The book says, "But, now that you're here. You've also become a part of the story." 

"This is ridiculous," Seungcheol whispers to the group, "We have the key. Let's just get out of here." The others nod making their way out of the bathroom. They don't get far when the bathroom door slams shut, causing them all to jump. "Do you think you all have a choice in this matter?" The book speaks again, "You already accepted my request the second you entered the tea shop. There's no taking it back."

"We never would have come in the first place if we knew that you would force us into a story!" Sungwoon exclaims. 

The book scoffs, "Well, I wouldn't have gotten the characters I wanted if I told you all that. Now, stop being so stubborn. Just play along and it will all go smoothly. The faster you agree to all this, the faster it will be over."

"We could just call for help," Jisung says, "Tell the cops or someone that you're holding us hostage. I'm sure that people won't be happy to hear that six idols are missing either." 

"As I said in the letter, I've dealt with all the details," The book says, "Will you all just cooperate?" The group has firm looks on their faces, all clearly saying no. The book sighs, "You have to make my job so hard." Suddenly, Jihoon collapses to the floor writhing in pain. Seungcheol's eyes widen in shock and he bends down quickly. "Jihoon...Jihoonie...what's wrong!? What's happening to you?!" Seungcheol yells out. The others stare to the fallen singer in surprise. Jihoon squirms on the floor, screaming in pain. Worry flashes across Seungcheol's face, not knowing what to do. The book chuckles, "If you had just agreed, we wouldn't have had to come to this."

"Stop whatever you're doing to him!" Seungcheol yells, "Now!" 

"Only if you say you'll take part in my story," The book states. Jihoon continues to yell out and Seungcheol flashes the others a pleading look. The group nods their heads. "We'll do it! Just stop whatever it is you're doing to Jihoon-ssi!" Jungkook shouts. The book emits another light and Jihoon's screams come to a stop. Seungcheol is looking at Jihoon with worry. The young vocalist is whimpering and shaking from whatever it is the book subjected him to. Seungcheol helps Jihoon to his feet, the younger leans against his leader for support. "Are you happy!?" Hyeongjun shouts, "We're taking part in you're stupid story!"

"Very," The book states, "Now, don't think that you can just quit anytime either. As you can see, I have the power to make things happen. So, if you value your family, friends, group mates, yourselves...I would finish the story and not get off track." The group all look at one another, not excited to get started with whatever this story may hold. "What do we do?" Sungwoon asks. 

"The book will tell you," The voice says, "I hope I won't have to come back to speak to any of you soon. Remember to play along." The book flashes again, leaving the bathroom silent. Jungkook sighs and shakes his head, "Let's get this over with. It can't be that bad, right?" 

Jisung frowns, "After what Jihoon-sunbaenim went through, I don't think this is going to be easy in any way."

"Jihoon hyung," Jihoon mutters, "We're all in the same boat here. We all want to get out of this as much as the other. We can be a bit more relaxed with each other." The others all nod their heads agreeing. "What does the book say?" Sungwoon asks. Jungkook flips the page and reads out loud, "The story has just begun. Five, with one tagging along, came to the tea shop for a nice party. They did not expect to find a body hidden within the bathroom. The six knew they couldn't just leave it there and curiosity got the best of them. They decided to search for the reason the man was killed and find the killer. In order to do so, the six have to find the name of the deceased and find what he was killed with."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It's time for chapter 2! I hope you like this chapter. Also, side note, thank you Woojin from Stray Kids. You deserve the world and I hope that you are happy no matter where that may be. Alright, let's get into the story.

The group exited the bathroom and were once more searching for something that may help them identify the person's name. "What are we supposed to do when we find the name?" Hyeongjun asks, picking up lamps. 

Sungwoon shrugs, going through a desk in the back, "We'll find out once we find the name."

"It could literally be anything," Jisung says from the floor, "How are we supposed to just find it?" 

"With a keen eye and lots of focus," Jihoon says moving some bookshelves, "We need to find it, if we want the story to move along. I'd rather not be stuck doing this for any longer than I have to." 

"What then?" Jungkook questions as he lifts stuffed animal after stuffed animal. 

"Then, we do whatever the story has planned for us next," Sungwoon says. 

"Really?" Jungkook says, "You actually want to continue this."

"None of us want to continue this, but we have to. I'm not letting what happened to Jihoon happen again," Seungcheol says, standing nearby Jihoon. 

Jihoon sighs and nudges Seungcheol, "I'm fine, hyung, you don't need to hover over me..."

"Still," Seungcheol insists, "Let me just stay beside you, Jihoonie." Seungcheol flashes Jihoon a puppy dog look and the younger sighs. "Whatever," Jihoon states. 

"Ah!!!" Jisung yells suddenly. The others all look to him, not knowing what to expect. Jisung holds up a nametag, "I think this is it!" It's piece of plastic with the name Jaesung scrawled over it in blocked text, underneath the name is the word manager. "Do you think that's his name?" Sungwoon asks.

"It has to be!" Jisung exclaims, "There's no other name anywhere. This has to be it." Jungkook nods, agreeing a little. He makes his way over to the bathroom and when he comes back, he has the book in his hands. He puts it on the table and flips to the page they stopped on. There's a picture on the page of the nametag and the group let out a sigh. "All we need now is how he died," Sungwoon says. 

"Please don't talk about it so nonchalantly," Hyeongjun shivers, "It's gross...I can't believe we're actually involved in this."

"Don't worry. It's just a story. It's not real," Jungkook says. 

Seungcheol frowns, "I disagree. That whole thing with the book seemed really real."

"True..." Jisung mutters, "There's more to all this than we know..."

"We'll try to find out, if we can. Try to keep it discreet though. I don't know if the book or whatever the source of that voice would be happy to find us being nosy," Sungwoon whispers loud enough for the only the others to hear. The group nods, going back to searching for the thing used to kill Jaesung. They also search for anything that can help them uncover their personal questions about this story. "I got it!" Hyeonjun cries, holding up an unplugged lamp. 

"You got what?" Jihoon asks.

Hyeongjun waves the lamp in the air, "The murderer used this to kill Jaesung. The bulb is cracked and the metal frame holding it is a bit bent." Jungkook nods his head, confirming Hyeongjun's words. "It's the lamp," Jungkook says, "We did it." The group let out a cheer, happy to be done with this part. Sungwoon moves towards the tea shop door and unlocks it. The group rushes out of the tea shop, not wanting to spend another second in that place. "Where to now?" Jisung asks. 

"What about Jaesung-ssi?" Hyeongjun questions. 

"The book and its magic will deal with it. We need to find the next person killed," Jungkook says, his eyes trained onto the words on the page. 

"There's another body!?" Seungcheol exclaims. 

"Yay..." Jihoon says in a dry tone. 

Jungkook nods, "The book says that the killer killed multiple people for the same reason. In order to find the murderer and avenge his victims, we need to find all those who were killed. Once we do, we should be able to identify the murderer."

"Sounds simple enough," Sungwoon comments, "Where's the next body?"

"Yeah, not that simple. It says there's a chance we may come across some problems along the way," Jungkook says. 

"What kinds of problems?" Jisung questions. 

Jungkook shakes his head, "It's doesn't say specifically, it just says that we should be prepared for them cause they could come at any time." 

"Fun," Jihoon says, "Anything else about where we need to go next."

Jungkook nods, "I don't get it, so maybe one of you guys can decipher it. It just says the word Usemum. I don't know what it's supposed to mean or if that's some special place."

"A museum," Sungwoon answers instantly, "The word is scrambled. Unscrambled it would be museum." Jungkook stares at the word and nods as it dawns on him. "That's makes sense," Hyeongjun states, "Which museum are we going to though?" 

"I'm guessing the one closest to here," Seungcheol suggests, pulling out his phone and tapping on the screen, "It's just three blocks from here. It's going to close in half and hour though, so we may want to hurry." The group nod and start dashing down the sidewalk. 

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

When they arrive at the museum, they can see people exiting. The group all glance at each other. "What do we do?" Jisung asks. 

Jihoon frowns, "We could always wait until tomorrow."

"Can we? Is the book going to allow that?" Jungkook questions, flipping to the next page. Another family leaves the museum as well, the door starts to close. Before it can, Sungwoon runs to grab it. "The book said we can't get off track, so we need to keep going," Sungwoon states, gesturing for the group to enter. 

Hyeongjun frowns, "Isn't this breaking and entering?"

"We're not going to be stealing anything and we're only here to finish this part of the story. After that, we're done," Sungwoon says. 

"I don't like this," Seungcheol mutters, but still makes his way into the museum. The others follow, knowing that even though they disagreed with it, they had no choice but to enter. The museum lights have been dimmed and there is almost no noise at all. The group look around nervously. It's almost eerie to be here so late at night. "Where to now?" Jisung asks, bouncing on the tips of his toes. 

"The bathroom?" Seungcheol suggests. 

Jihoon slaps the older, "Do you actually think there's another body in the freaking bathroom?" Seungcheol whines and rubs the spot on his arm that Jihoon hit. "Jihoonie!!! Did you have to hit me so hard!?" Seungcheol says, "It was an honest suggestion."

"If it is in the bathroom, we could call him the Toilet Killer," Jisung states with a smile slowly appearing on his face. 

"His crime would be stinking up the bathroom," Hyeongjun says with a giggle. Jihoon rolls his eyes and starts to walk in the direction of the bathroom. The others laugh a little, finding amusement in their little joke. Jihoon stands in front of the bathroom door, not putting much thought into his friends, still laughing about farts and poop and stuff. He frowns when he spots chains and padlocks keeping the door shut. He sighs and massages his temples, he should've known this wasn't going to be easy. He shouts to the rest of the group, "Hey! Guys! I can't get the door to open!" He waits a little, hearing footsteps echo throughout the empty museum. Soon enough, the others gather in front of the bathroom. "That's a bit excessive," Jisung comments, "I doubt anyone is going to break in just to use the bathroom."

"I have a feeling this is all here because of the book and the story, not security," Jihoon states.

"It also confirms my theory that the bodies will all be in the bathroom," Seungcheol says with a smug look that he flashes to Jihoon. 

"Shut up," Jihoon states, ignoring Seungheol's gaze. While Jungkook flips through the book and stops at the most recent page. "There are three keys hidden around the museum. The friends split into groups of three and go find them in order to unlock the bathroom," Jungkook reads out loud. 

"I don't want to split up!" Jisung says, "Splitting up means bad things!!! Horror movies people! Horror!!!" 

"We just need to be careful," Sungwoon says, "One of the older ones with the younger." 

"I'm not leaving Jihoon's side," Seungcheol states, pulling said man closer to him. Jihoon sighs, but doesn't argue with the man that has his arm. Sungwoon opens his mouth to protest, but before he does Jungkook speaks. He shakes his head, "Don't worry about me. I can handle myself." 

"Fine," Sungwoon says, "Hyeongjun with me. Jisung and Jungkook. And Seungcheol and Jihoon. Does that work for everyone?" The group all nods and Jungkook gestures for them all to gather around him. He shows each group a page of the book with a riddle on it to help them find the clue. They all take a picture of their respective clue and head off in different directions. 

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Jisung and Jungkook can't seem to find the meaning of their clue. They stare at it for a long time, trying their hardest to make sense of it. "I don't get it!" Jisung exclaims, "Through the middle of this continent. Runs the line of the equator. It contains more than fifty countries. I don't know geography! Why did it have to be a geography based riddle!!! I could've done anything else, but I tap out when it comes to geography!"

"I'm sure we're just overthinking it," Jungkook says, "There are only so many continents. Let's try process of elimination, we can knock out Antarctica."

"Great...that leaves us with six to choose from," Jisung says, unenthusiastically. Jungkook nods and rereads the riddle, trying to think back to the world map from third grade that was hanging on the wall. "Can't we just google it!" Jisung shouts. 

Jungkook shakes his head, "The book says we have to solve the riddle. Not cheat by looking for the answers online."

"It would never know," Jisung whispers, taking his phone from his pocket. Jungkook puts his hand out and stops him. "You saw what happened to Jihoon hyung. If we don't play by the rules, it could happen to us too." Jisung sighs and lowers the phone, a dejected look crossing his face. "Come on," Jungkook says, "We can figure this out." After a couple more minutes, the boys head off down the hall towards the exhibit that they believe matches the riddle. Africa. As they enter, they are met with fake animals and a terrain that matches that of Africa. They look around trying to find the key. They don't notice when the book flashes a purple light. "Where's the key?" Jisung asks, "I can't find it."

"I think I see it," Jungkook states, pointing towards a fake tree that fake antelopes stand around. The key is attached to a ring that is looped onto the branch of the fake tree. "I'll go grab it," Jungkook says, passing Jisung the book. Jisung takes it and nods his head. He watches as Jungkook makes his way over to the tree. He reaches for the key, but before he can the antelopes come to life and start charging forward. Jungkook's eyes widen and he barely escapes to the side. He watches as the animals brush by the tree, causing the branch to shake. "Jisung! Get out of the way!" Jungkook shouts. Jisung's eyes widen as he hears the steps of the antelope and jumps to the side. He backs up into the trees of the exhibit. He yelps in surprise, as he bumps into something. His eyes widen when he sees that it's a hippo, which is also now alive. He screams in surprise and rushes forward again. The other African animals start to wander around and Jisung barely stops himself in time from running into the herd of buffalo. "Jungkook hyung!!!" Jisung shouts. 

"Are you alright, Jisung?" Jungkook yells. 

Jisung shakes his head, "I just ran into a hippo and almost ran into a bunch of buffalo! So, no, I am not alright! What the heck is happening!? Why did the animals suddenly come to life!?"

"I don't know!" Jungkook replies, "We need to get the key."

"You don't already have it!" Jisung yells.

Jungkook frowns, "The antelope blocked my path. I'll go get it now." Jisung nods and peeks out from behind a tree he's hiding near. He frowns when a shadow is cast over him. He looks behind him and yelps again when he sees a huge giraffe towering over him. Jisung laughs nervously, "Nice, giraffeeee...."

"Jisung!?" Jungkook says, "Why do you keep screaming? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just surprised with all the animals that are just wandering around a freaking museum!" Jisung replies, trying not to squirm as a prairie dog shuffles around his feet, "Get the key, hyung. Don't worry about me." Jungkook shrugs, but does as Jisung says. He makes his way closer to the tree, but freezes when a lion cub runs up to it and rubs against it. Jungkook frowns and waits, not wanting to get involved with a freaking lion cub. Even though it is just a cub, there's a high chance that its mother is nearby. Suddenly, there's a loud yelling sound coming from his right. Jungkook looks over to see a freaked out Jisung running over to him. He's being chased by what seems like a bunch of hyenas. Jungkook watches in surprise as Jisung swerves around like a chicken without its head. He yells louder, causing lots of the other animals to stare at him. Jungkook glances back at the lion cub and is thankful to see it is also being distracted by the show that Jisung is putting on. He makes his way over to the tree and quickly unloops it from the branch. He sighs and looks to Jisung who is still running around, even though it would seem that the hyenas had lost interest in him long ago. Jungkook shakes his head, "Jisung! You can stop running. There isn't anything chasing you."Jisung looks to Jungkook and slowly comes to a stop. He looks behind him and lets out a sigh of relief. "Tell me you got the keys," Jisung says, out of breath, "I'm really done with all these animals." Jungkook nods, holding up the keys. They glow the same purple and the animals slowly make their way back to where they once stood. The animals freeze again and the Africa exhibit falls silent, as if nothing weird had happened just seconds ago. "I'm done," Jisung states, looking around the now normal museum exhibit. 

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Sungwoon and Hyeongjun, on the other hand, figure their clue out pretty fast. With sharp edged wit and pointed poise, it can settle disputes without making a noise. "A sword," Hyeongjun answers immediately. Sungwoon nods his head, a smile appearing on his face. "You're clever," Sungwoon says. 

Hyeongjun blushes, "Thank you, hyung. I like riddles. I don't really know which exhibit we should go to though. Swords are fairly generalized."

"I think it will be Camelot," Sungwoon says, "It should have one of the most famous swords ever, Excalibur..." The two make their way over to Camelot, keeping their eyes peeled for a key. The Camelot exhibit is kept dim and there are figures dressed to resemble the style during the time in glass cases. A figure that resembles that of the black knight stands to the right. In the center is a stone with a sword stuck into it. Hyeongjun looks around in awe, "This is so cool."

"We can come look around another time. Okay, Hyeongjunnie? We need to find those keys," Sungwoon states. Hyeongjun nods his head and looks to the only sword in the room. The key is tied onto the sword with a thin strip of leather. Hyeongjun points it out to Sungwoon, who makes his way towards the weapon stuck in rock. Sungwoon reaches up to untie the key, but before he can a purple light emits from the black knight figure. The boys both shield their eyes. When they remove their hands, they see the Black Knight approaching them. The two exchange glances and freeze as the Knight unsheathes his sword. "Stay away from Excalibur," The Black Knight says, swinging his sword for good measure. The two boys quickly retreat, finding coverage behind a statue of King Arthur. "How did he come to life?" Hyeongjun whispers.

Sungwoon shrugs, "I have no idea." 

"We still need the key!" Hyeongjun says, "How are we supposed to get it if Mr. Black Knight could take off our heads the second we get any closer?!" 

"We can get it still," Sungwoon says, "We just need a plan."

"And what would that be?" Hyeongjun asks. 

Sungwoon bites his lip, "I want you to try to distract him. Yell to get his attention and then hide. I'm going to try to get the key." 

"Are you sure?" Hyeongjun asks, "I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm fast," Sungwoon says, "He won't get me." Hyeongjun nods and watches as Sungwoon slowly creeps out of their hiding spot. The older flashes the other a thumbs up. Hyeongjun takes a deep breath and steps out into the open, "Hey! Black Knight! I have a question for you!!!" The Black Knight turns to look at Hyeongjun and he approaches him with big thunderous steps. Hyeongjun shrieks as the knight points his sword at him. "What do you want you little pest!?" The Black Knight asks, keeping his sword trained on the young idol. Hyeongjun shuffles around a little, eyeing the sword. Sungwoon stands right in front of it, already unraveling the binding that keeps the key attached to the sword. The Black Knight notices Hyeongjun's gaze and follows it. He growls when he spots Sungwoon, "Did I not say to stay away! Are you asking for my blade!?" Sungwoon steps away instantly and side steps as the knight swings his sword at him. The Black Knight glares at the idol and swings again. Sungwoon ducks just in time and starts to crawl along the floor. "Hyung!" Hyeongjun yells out in worry. The Black Knight swings his sword to the ground, trying to strike Sungwoon. The young man rolls away and the sword gets stuck into the ground. Sungwoon reaches the statue and hides behind it again. He lets out heavy breaths and runs a hand through his hair. "Okay...new plan..." Sungwoon says. 

"I don't know about this, hyung. You almost got impaled!" Hyeongjun exclaims. 

Sungwoon nods, "Almost. I didn't. I'm okay. We need that key to open the bathroom. We have to finish this story, so we can get back to our real lives."

"What if we die trying!?" Hyeongjun says. 

Sungwoon sighs, "We won't. We have to think positively. Okay let's try this, I'll get him to chase after me and you get the key."

"What!?" Hyeongjun questions in a high pitched voice, "You want me to get the key! What if I can't untie it? What if the Black Knight attacks me?"

"I've already loosened it. I'll keep him away from you, so don't worry. You can do this, Hyeongjun," Sungwoon states. The younger looks at him with nervousness, but nods his head. "Let's do this." Sungwoon runs out instantly, jumping up and down. He waves his hands in the air, "Hello!!! Try to catch me!!!" The Black Knight comes charging at Sungwoon. The idol takes off out of the exhibit, taking the knight as far away as possible. Hyeongjun takes a hesitant step, wary of them returning. He shakes his head, "C'mon, Hyeongjun. You can do this." He takes another tentative step before walking with a bit more confidence. He reaches the key and starts to untie it. He does it as quickly as he can, hyper aware of the sounds of running footsteps echoing not too far from where he is. He grits his teeth as he undoes the last knot and the key falls to the floor. He bends down and picks it up. As he does, he hears footsteps getting closer. He stares as the Black Knight marches back into the exhibit. He tenses, bracing himself to be hit with the knight's weapon. The blow doesn't come, instead the knight walks right past him and back to where he once stood. Hyeongjun blinks, confused, as the Black Knight returns to its original position. Sungwoon rushes into the exhibit a second later with a flushed face. "I don't know what happened. He just stopped chasing me and made his way back," Sungwoon says, "Are you alright?" 

Hyeongjun nods, "I'm fine. He didn't touch me. He just went back to that..." 

Sungwoon looks to the figure of the Black Knight, "Let's just get back to the others. I don't want him to suddenly come back to life and attack us." 

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Seungcheol and Jihoon stare at their clue, trying to decipher it. "I'm wrapped up, but I'm not a gift. I've been preserved, but I'm not something you'd eat. I was buried, but I'm not a treasure chest," Jihoon reads for the fifth time. 

"I feel stupid," Seungcheol states.

Jihoon sighs, "That's cause you are."

"Jihoon! How could you attack me like that!?" Seungcheol exclaims. 

Jihoon shrugs, "You don't make it hard." Seungcheol pouts and Jihoon rolls his eyes. "It's such a sad day. I've been dragged into a story game! My Jihoonie keeps making fun of me! I can't figure out this clue!" Seungcheol says dramatically. 

"I could figure it out if you stop speaking so loudly," Jihoon grumbles, reading it over again. Seungcheol pouts again, but stops his whining. After a couple more minutes, Jihoon stands up and starts walking straight. "Jihoon? Where are we going?" Seungcheol asks, following like a lost puppy. 

"Ancient Egypt," Jihoon states. 

"Uh, cool," Seungcheol says, "Uh, why? 

"The answer to the riddle. It's a mummy," Jihoon says, "Mummies would definitely be in the Egyptian exhibit, don't you think?" 

Seungcheol nods his head and ruffles Jihoon's hair, "Such a clever problem-solver..." Jihoon huffs, but chooses to just ignore Seungcheol's gesture. When the two arrive at the Egypt exhibit, they look around trying to find the key. The exhibit has been decorated to look sort of like the inside of a pyramid. In the back of the room, surrounded by velvet rope is a sarcophagus. "Where's the key?" Seungcheol asks. 

"With the mummy," Jihoon states. 

Seungcheol frowns, "With the mummy? As in, inside the sarcophagus."

"Uh, yeah, maybe," Jihoon replies. 

Seungcheol sighs, "Are we going to have to open it?"

"There probably isn't a real mummy inside of it anyway," Jihoon says, "C'mon..." The two make their way over to the sarcophagus. As they near it, the outer rim shines a purple light. Seungcheol reacts instantly, recognizing the light as the one from the book. He pulls Jihoon behind him and glares at the sarcophagus. Jihoon blinks, "Hyung? What are you doing?" 

"The sarcophagus glowed," Seungcheol says, "Just like the book did."

"What are you talking about?" Jihoon questions. Suddenly, the sarcophagus flies open with a bang. The two jump at the loud noise that is followed with a bellowing roar. A mummy staggers out with its hands outstretched. "Is that a freaking mummy!?" Jihoon exclaims. 

"Yes, it is," Seungcheol states, "It's also time we find a place to hide." Seungcheol grabs onto Jihoon's wrist and pulls him towards a bunch of large urns placed on the other side of the room. The two huddle behind them, peeking out every so often to glance at the mummy walking around. "How the heck is that possible?" Jihoon asks, "There's no way that it just came to life."

"Well, it did and it sure doesn't look friendly," Seungcheol says, "We need to get out of here, Jihoon. That mummy is dangerous."

"We don't have the key," Jihoon says, "We need the key."

"We need to get out of here before that mummy finds us," Seungcheol says. 

Jihoon shakes his head, "We can't leave without the key. We need it to make sure the story continues." Jihoon peeks over the urn and looks at the mummy. He grimaces when he spots something hanging from its neck. He sinks back to the floor and looks to his companion, "The key is around his neck."

"The mummy's neck?!" Seungcheol says, "It's around his neck. Hell, no. We're leaving. We don't need the key. We'll just break down the door or something." 

"Seungcheol hyung!" Jihoon exclaims, "We're not going anywhere."

"We can't get the key, Jihoon. Do you know how dangerous it is? How close we would have to be to get it?" Seungcheol says, "That mummy isn't normal. I'm sure it can kill us." 

"We'll be fine," Jihoon says, "We just need to work quickly." 

"No, we need to leave. If you try to get those keys, your life will be at risk. I can't protect you from something like that." Seungcheol states in a firm tone. 

Jihoon makes eye contact with the older, "I don't need you to protect me. If you want to leave, go ahead. I'm getting the keys." Seungcheol tries to stop the younger from moving, but Jihoon ignores him. The younger charges at the mummy with fire in his eyes. Jihoon nears the mummy as it turns to face him. He doesn't bother to turn away from it as it roars right into his face. Jihoon grabs onto the key and pulls on it, trying to get it to rip right off the mummy's neck. It doesn't though and only seems to irritate the creature. The fire dies within the idol dies as the mummy reaches its arms up and grasps Jihoon's neck. Jihoon lets out a strangled gasp as the mummy tightens its grip. Jihoon tries to pry the mummy's hands off of him, but to no avail. He lets out a strangled choke, struggling more and more. It doesn't seem to help him though as the mummy's hands don't budge and his face turns red. Jihoon's eyes turn glassy as he finds it harder to breathe. He slowly stops fighting, his arms dropping to his sides. Suddenly, Seungcheol appears with an angry look on his face. "Hey! Toilet paper roll!" He shouts, "Get your hands off of my Jihoonie!" He charges at the mummy with all of his strength, slamming his shoulder into the mummy. The sudden hit causes the mummy to stumble back and remove its hands from around Jihoon's neck. Jihoon falls to the floor and takes sharp, deep breaths. Seungcheol reaches for the key around the mummy neck and uses the momentum of the stumbling creature to his advantage. He breaks the string and grips the key tightly in his fist. Not even caring about the mummy anymore, he shoots to his knees. He supports Jihoon, who is still taking in gulps of air. Seungcheol rubs his back and Jihoon touches the spot on his neck where the mummy's hands had once been. "I thought you said that you didn't want to get involved with the mummy," Jihoon says in a hoarse voice. 

Seungcheol shakes his head, "I would never leave you, Jihoonie. I'm going to protect you, even if you don't want to be protected. I'll keep you safe."

"Thank you, Seungcheol," Jihoon says, flashing the older an earnest look. Seungcheol nods and helps Jihoon get to his feet. "What happened to the mummy?" Jihoon asks, looking around. Seungcheol eyes the sarcophagus, which is now sealed shut.

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

The group gather outside of the bathroom again, their faces showing that they've all been through a lot. "Tell me you all found your keys," Sungwoon states. 

"Yeah, had to fight off a freaking mummy to get it," Seungcheol says, holding up his key. 

Jisung frowns, "We were surrounded by African animals! I almost got eaten by hyenas!" 

"The Black Knight almost chopped off Sungwoon hyung's head!" Hyeongjun exclaims. 

"So, everyone's exhibit came to life," Jungkook says. 

Jihoon nods, "Yeah, it would also seem that we all almost died!"

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Sungwoon asks, "In what type of murder mystery, do museum exhibits come to life?" Suddenly, the book starts to glow again. Jungkook places it on the floor and the pages fly open. "My murder mystery," The voice says, "It was getting a bit slow, so I decided to spice it up a little. It's not like I didn't give you a warning. I said there may be problems."

"Those problems weren't supposed to include us almost getting killed!" Jisung shouts. 

Seungcheol nods, "Yeah, what the heck!? Do you want to see us die?!"

"Stop whining. You all survived. It's a good thing you did. The last group I had failed before they got very far in the story," The voice continues, "It's more of a nuisance if you were to die, but other than that it doesn't matter to me what's happens to you pertaining to your liveliness. 

"Nuisance!" Seungcheol exclaims, "Our lives are very important!" 

"I'm sure they are," The voice says in a bored tone. 

"Hey, what was that about a last group?" Sungwoon questions, "Did other people do this before us, book?" 

"One, I am not a book. Just because I am speaking to you through this novel doesn't mean that I am a book," The voice says, "Second, did you really think you were that special? Of course, there have been ones before you. They all did fairly well, created a bunch of stories for me. They were fun too...while they lasted." 

"While they lasted!" Jungkook exclaims, "Is this some type of suicide mission!"

"Of course not, don't be so dramatic," The voice continues. 

"I have a question, if you're not a book. Who are you?" Hyeongjun asks. 

"This is not a Q&A session," The voice continues. 

"Hey, we deserve some answers," Jihoon states, "We just jumped into this without knowing anything. At least, tell us who you are and why you're doing this."

"You owe it to us anyway," Sungwoon says, "For almost getting us killed." 

The voice sighs, "Fine. I'll tell you a little, but only because you're not going to remember any of this. I am the power behind this book and the story you are all taking a part of. I'm the mastermind here. You may call me Eve. I've done this little project multiple times before. The reason is simply for my own amusement. Nothing more, nothing less. As to the whole, suicide mission, people have failed...which is a shame...but there are always more to pick from..." 

"Are you saying they died!?" Jisung exclaims. 

Jungkook grimaces, "We never would have done this if knew we could die!" 

"Will you stop interrupting me? I don't need to answer your questions," Eve says. The group fall silent. "They did die, but I doubt it will be like that for any of you. You all faced the museum and came out unscathed," Eve continues, "Keep going like that and you should live to see another day." 

"Unscathed," Seungcheol scoffs, "Jihoon was getting strangled by a freaking mummy! There are still handprints around his neck!" Jihoon touches his neck gingerly, still feeling the lingering touch of the mummy. "That is on him for running head first into the line of fire," Eve replies, "Now, it is time I leave you to your mission. Focus on your task or you will suffer more than just surface marks on skin." The book glows once more and Eve's voice fades. The group don't move, staring at the book. "What have we gotten ourselves into," Sungwoon mutters. 

Hyeongjun shivers, "We'll be okay, right hyungs?"

"Right..." Jungkook states, trailing off a little at the end. The group fall silent again, hesitant to continue this story now that they know of the risks to their lives. Jihoon shakes his head and takes the key from Seungcheol. He moves and sticks it into one of the lock, finding the matching one instantly. He twists it and the lock pops open. He removes it and tosses it to the floor. "The only way out of this is if we move forward. You all know that," Jihoon says. The others all nod as Jungkook moves forward with his key. He sticks it into the lock and twists. This lock opens just like the last. Hyeongjun uses the last key on the final lock. With all the locks removed, the door swings open easily. When they enter, they all groan as the stench of rotting flesh hits their nose. "I hate this story," Jisung groans. The dead body has what looks like burns all over her body. She wears a uniform that is also burned, but it's rather clear that she is the night guard for the museum. Seungcheol covers his nose with his shirt and takes a step closer to the body. He scans it, looking for clues. He grimaces when he sees a phone peeking out of the body's pocket. He squirms a little, but reaches for the device. Other than being cracked and slightly crisped, the phone is in okay condition. Seungcheol retreats from the body quickly, phone still in hand. The others crowd around him, looking at the phone. "Does it still work?" Sungwoon asks. Seungcheol clicks a button on the side and the phone lights up. The phone remains locked, but on the lock screen shows messages. "Six messages from Jaesung," Seungcheol reads outloud, "Last message says, he's coming Areum. Be careful." 

"Jaesung was the guy from the tea shop," Jisung says, "He knew Areum. He knew they were in danger. They were both killed by the same person. They were both killed because of their connection to one another and to whoever is the murderer." 

"Do you really think this is all connected?" Hyeongjun asks, "That this is all one person." 

Jisung nods and grimaces, "There's more to this story. The killer killed more than just these two. And for a reason to. We're going to find that reason, even if we don't want to. That's the way this story is going to unfold."

"More dead bodies. Great," Jihoon says in a dry tone, "Are we done here?" Seungcheol nods and puts the phone on the countertop. The group take one more look at Areum before walking out of the bathroom. Sungwoon picks up the book that they had left on the floor as they all head towards the exit of the museum. "Where to now?" Jungkook asks. 

Jisung groans, "I'm tired. Can't we take a break?"

"Not unless the book allows us to," Seungcheol says, "What does it say, Sungwoon?" 

"The day has been long and there are many things ahead. In order for you to do your best, you must all take a rest," Sungwoon says. 

"Now it's rhyming," Jihoon mumbles. 

"Wait, that means we can sleep!" Hyeongjun exclaims, "Right?"

Sungwoon nods, "We better cherish this. I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be nuts."

"I say we go to a hotel and book a room for the night," Jisung states. The others all nod, agreeing with Jisung's plan. The group all make their way down the street, looking forward to the second they could collapse on a bed. They all shared the same thoughts, maybe if I sleep and wake up, I'll find out this was all just a bad dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooooo...I hope you're all enjoying this story so far. Please anticipate the next chapter, which will be out tomorrow. Please comment, and check out my other stories. Also, if you're a huge Stay and wish to talk, my PMs are open. That's all I have to say, bye bye!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ran out of time to update yesterday, sorry about that. Here's the next chapter for you all. Since I forgot yesterday, I will be granting you all a bunch of chapters today. I hope you enjoy them.

Jisung groans as he is gently being shaken awake by none other than one Song Hyeongjun. "Jisung hyung, wake up," Hyeongjun says. 

Jisung groans again, "It's too early..." 

"C'mon, hyung," Hyeongjun pleads. Jisung groans, but slowly sits up. He rubs his eyes and sighs. The hotel room is pretty dim, the only source of light coming from the window. Last night, they could only book one room for the six of them. They had to make due when it came to sleeping arrangements. Seungcheol and Jihoon claimed one of the queen beds as their own. Sungwoon and Hyeongjun took the other bed. Jungkook had offered Jisung the couch, leaving the main vocalist with a revolving chair to sleep on. It wasn't ideal, but none of them had much trouble falling asleep right away. Jisung looks around the room and sees everyone else still sleeping. "Why did you wake me up?" Jisung asks, "Everyone is still asleep."

"I'm going to wake everyone else up now," Hyeongjun says with a smile

Jisung sighs, "I don't understand why we need to all waking up. It's only 6 am." 

"The book started glowing," Hyeongjun says, pointing to the book which is pulsing a purple light. Jisung's eyes widen as he sees what the book is doing. He shoots to his feet instantly, "Why didn't you wake me faster!? This could be important!" 

Hyeongjun frowns, "I was trying to wake you for five minutes. You wouldn't budge." Jisung flashes the younger a sheepish look. "Why are you talking so loudly?" Seungcheol asks, his eyes still closed. 

"You need to wake up, Seungcheol hyung!" Jisung exclaims, "The book is lighting up again." Seungcheol's eyes shoot open and he sits up from bed. He throws the covers off of him and shakes Jihoon. Hyeongjun goes to where Sungwoon is and starts to wake him up as well. Jisung does the same for Jungkook. After a couple of minutes, they're all awake. Sort of. Jihoon leans against Seungcheol, his eyes partially closed. Jungkook looks like he's spacing out. While Jisung keeps talking to himself, trying to stay awake. The only one who seemed ready for the day is Hyeongjun. The youngest has the book propped onto the table and is flipping to the most recent page. There are new words scrawled across the paper. Hyeongjun reads it loudly, "It's early, suck it up. You have places to be and mysteries to solve. The killer didn't rest last night and has gotten to all of his targets while you were sleeping. You could've stopped it, but you all valued your beauty rest. Oh, well. That was your choice. No going back now," 

Jungkook grimaces, "Could we have saved them?"

"I don't know," Seungcheol replies.

Jisung shakes his head, "We shouldn't have taken the option of resting. We could've stopped all of this, if we had stayed up."

"Just get back to the story. We can't dwell on it. They're dead now. Let's just find the killer and bring him to justice. Right our wrongs, end this story, and move on," Sungwoon states, "I don't like this anymore than the rest of you, but that's the way it is. We can't do anything, just like the book says." The others all nod as Hyeongjun goes back to reading. "The place you're headed now is bound to wake you up. A necessity to some, a treasure to many, I'm best enjoyed among pleasant company. Some like me hot, some like me cold. Some prefer mild, some like me bold," Hyeongjun says. 

Jihoon groans and buries his face deeper into Seungcheol's chest, "It's too early for riddles..."

"It's not that hard. It's actually pretty straightforward," Sungwoon says, "I was just going to suggest we get some."

"Coffee," Jisung and Hyeongjun say at the same time. 

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

The group make their way to the cafe next to the hotel. It's still early and there isn't anyone else out. They stare at the cafe that has an open sign lit up. The only thing is that the place didn't look very open. There were no lights on and no one at the front or walking around the small cafe. "Is it open?" Jihoon asks, still leaning on Seungcheol. 

"It says it is," Jungkook murmurs and pushes the door open. The door swings open, a little bell ringing as it does. The group file into the room and look around. The sound that the bell made echoes throughout the cafe. "To the bathroom?" Jisung asks. The group nods, making their way over to the bathrooms. They expect to see locks, just like before, but there is none. Sungwoon frowns, a tad bit suspicious. He pushes the door open and enters the bathroom. The others follow. Sungwoon stops suddenly and the others bump into him. "Hyung? Is something wrong?" Hyeongjun asks, his face smushed into Sungwoon's back. Sungwoon eyes the floor and lifts his gaze to the body that has a blender on its head. He winces at the disturbing image in front of him. "Let's look at the book outside, okay?" Sungwoon says, trying to prevent any of his dongseongs from seeing what he had just seen. The others do what he says, albeit with some confusion. They gather around a table and Hyeongjun places the book upon it. "The one killed in the cafe was known for his unique drinks. Drink to the bottom of the coffee cups. Don't dare play any tricks. Only then will it be revealed."

"What cups?" Jihoon questions.

Jungkook points to six cups sitting by the cash register, lined up on a black tray, "Those...I'm guessing." He goes to grab the tray and brings it over to the group. "The cups have our names on them," Jungkook says, passing out the cups. Everyone has their cups in their hands. They eye them, a tad bit hesitant to take a sip. Seungcheol sighs, "It's just coffee, right? This shouldn't be too hard. No time limit or anything either, so we can relax while we drink." 

"Nothing is ever as it seems," Sungwoon says, "There's no way this is just coffee." Seungcheol shrugs and takes a sip. His face contorts instantly and he covers his mouth to stop himself from spewing the liquid all over the place. The others freeze, seeing Seungcheol's reaction. Seungcheol struggles to get the liquid down his throat, but he does after a long battle. "Is it that bad?" Hyeongjun questions. 

Seungcheol frowns, "I can't describe it. I just know that this isn't coffee." 

"Well, bottoms up," Jungkook says, tilting the cup and pouring the liquid into his mouth. His reaction is similar to Seungcheol's, but he swallows faster, trying to finish up the coffee as quickly as possible. Hyeongjun hesitates and takes a tiny sip, which he instantly regrets. He gags and shakes his head, holding the cup away from him. "Whoever made this coffee deserves to be kicked!" Hyeongjun exclaims, which is surprising coming from someone with such a kind heart. Sungwoon is the next victim. He chooses to chug it down and attempt to ignore the taste. He does pretty well, but it's clear that the coffee isn't sitting well with his stomach. Jisung has been a bit over the top as he sip his coffee. He takes tentative sips and freaks out each time. Jihoon is the only one sitting down, sipping the coffee as if there isn't anything wrong with it. Maybe, his coffee is different. Or maybe he's just too tired to give two craps about a cup of coffee. It's caffeine. The only thing that would get Jihoon through the day. The group continues drinking the coffee. They would gag occasionally or complain about the horrific taste. After what felt like an eternity for them, they reached the bottom of their cups. They each peeked into the cup and find words scrawled on the inside. "I think all of our cups connect with each other and have a specific order they have to be read," Jisung says, "Cause mine doesn't really make sense by itself." 

"Jisung's right," Sungwoon says, "I'm assuming it's based off of our names since those were on the cups, so let's put them in alphabetical order." The groups place each of their cups on the table and move them around until they form a complete statement. "Chulsoon was minding his own business, setting up for the day, when he suddenly got pushed into the bathroom and his life Ended in some way," Hyeongjun reads his cup. 

Jihoon continues, "He was known for his weird tasting coffee. That Some, for reason unknown, enjoyed. People liked the smiles he shared and the stories he would tell, about the Polaroids hanging parallel." 

"These pictures are important. They hold secrets and mEmories that could give you a lead, in your journey to find the one that made Chulsoon bleed." Jisung reads his message. 

Jungkook looks into his cup and speaks loudly, "If you are smart, you should fiNd this task quite simple. It isn't very hard, to avenge Chulsoon and the others, you must follow the card."

Seungcheol frowns as he reads his, "Work fast and swift. You don't know Who could be watching, because there may be someone nearby stalking."

"Don't worry about that now and get to work. This is the only way for the killer to be uSurped," Sungwoon finishes with a look of confusion. The other reread their clues, trying to make sense of their next objective. "We need a note, I think," Jungkook says, "A card...like it said in mine." The others nod and start searching around. "Do you think it's in an obvious area?" Jisung asks, pushing chairs and looking under tables. 

Jihoon nods, "I bet it's right in our faces." Hyeongjun moves the cups off of the tray and lifts it up. "Like this obvious?" He says, turning it over so that they could see a card taped to the bottom of the tray. 

"Hyeongjun! You're so smart!" Jisung exclaims, almost hitting his head on a table as he moves back to the group. Seungcheol takes the note off the back and Hyeongjun places the tray back on the table. Seungcheol waits for them to all look at him before he starts to read the note, "The cups hold the key to the connection of all three." 

"The cups? The coffee cups? Jisung questions, "But, we found this note from the cups? Is there more to it?" Jihoon grabs his cup and rotates it, looking all over the inside and outside. The others do the same, trying to find something that they had clearly missed. "There's a number on the bottom of my cup," Sungwoon says, "I don't know what it means." The rest of them check their cups as well and find numbers of their own. Jihoon stares at the message, his eye having caught something weird with them. "Give me your cups," Jihoon states, his eyes not moving from his own cup. The others do as he says, confused as to what could be going through Jihoon's head. The vocalist picks up the cups one at a time. He looks at the words inside and tilts the cups to look at the number on the bottom. His gaze shifts up as he looks along the wall behind the cash register. His eyes widen when he sees a large corkboard with Polaroids stuck onto it with tacks. Jihoon glances again at the cups and the numbers, nodding his head slowly. "Okay, what?" Seungcheol says, "What are you doing, Hoonie?" 

"Figuring out the cup situation," Jihoon says, "Anyone want to go over to that corkboard with the pictures?" Jungkook nods and walks over to the counter, lifting it up so that he is now on the opposite side. He looks back to Jihoon, waiting for him to give him another set of instructions. "The messages at the bottom of each of the cups have one letter capitalized. Those letters correspond with directions. North, east, south, and west. The numbers mean how many pictures in that certain direction we have to go," Jihoon explains. They all nod, understanding, getting what this all meant. "The first one is east five. The next is south two. East one. North four. West six. And south three," Jihoon says, glancing at the cups as he says this all. Jungkook points his finger at the pictures and moves it along as Jihoon tells him the direction. "Got it!" Jungkook exclaims, removing the tack from the final picture. He brings the picture over to the rest of the group. The picture has a group of three on it. "Are these people important?" Jisung questions. Jungkook shrugs and flips the photo over. There are names written in sharpie as well as a date. "2000, Chulsoon, Areum, Jaesung. Taken by....the name is crossed out..." Jungkook says.

"Those are the two from yesterday that we found," Seungcheol says. 

Hyeongjun frowns, "What about the person that the photo was taken by? It has to be important."

My guess is that it's the next person killed or the name of the killer," Sungwoon says. 

Jisung's eyes widen, "The killer! You don't think the person knows we're after him, right?"

"Of course not," Jungkook states. 

"I wouldn't say it's entirely out of the picture," Jihoon says, "It makes sense for it to be the killer's name on that photo. They're trying to eliminate any thing that could lead the murders back to themselves. Not to mention, the message on Seungcheol's cup mentioned stalking. That isn't some coincidence."

"Are we in danger?" Hyeongjun asks, his voice raising. 

Sungwoon shakes his head, "No. We're perfectly safe. Jihoon just has a hypothesis, right Jihoon?" The vocalist sighs, but nods his head. The youngest relaxes a little, but can't help but notice the truth behind Jihoon's words. "Can we just keep going?" Jisung says, "I'm getting the heebie geebies. I don't like the thought of someone watching us. This story is playing with things I don't want to get involved in and the faster we finish. The faster we can all get away from this." The others agree and make their way out of the cafe. "Where to next?" Seungcheol asks. Sungwoon flips through the book and nods as a picture appears on the book. "Lucky us. No riddles, just a picture of the library," Sungwoon states. 

"Library, here we come," Jungkook says, leading the way. The group follows, not noticing a figure standing in the shadows of the cafe. The figure shakes his head as he watches the group walk away, "Why do people have to be so nosy? This would've been easier if they had just stopped searching the second you found the first body. You just had to keep digging. I don't want to do anything, but if you get closer to the truth. I will have no choice."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all for this chapter! I hope that you enjoyed it. If you did, please leave a comment and kudos and check out my BTS AU Ripple. Until next time! Bye!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This is the second chapter published today. I hope that you enjoy! It's pretty long, so you're all in for a treat.

When the group enter the library, it is just as empty as the previous locations. There doesn't seem to be any workers or people reading anywhere. Jisung groans, "Why is it always so quiet and desolate no matter where we go? It sets me on edge."

"Eve just had to set the mood," Jihoon states in annoyance, "It really isn't appreciated, Eve." The book starts to glow a faint purple, almost as if giving off a warning. Seungcheol moves instantly to Jihoon's side and pats him on the shoulder. "Okay...let's not set off the powerful female who could do very bad things to us," Seungcheol says. 

Jihoon rolls his eyes, "Whatever...let's just get going with this next task." The group make their way to an empty table and place the book on it. "I'll be back," Jungkook says, "I'm going to check the bathroom." The others wait for him to return and when he does, he shakes his head. "Locked. It's kind of interesting though. There are these shelves sort of things on the door," Jungkook says. 

Sungwoon sighs, opening up the book, "I have a feeling those shelves are the way we get the door open." The others gather around just like all the other times. "Read it out, Sungwoon hyung," Seungcheol states. 

"The one who was killed was a reader. She had her favorites that she would read again and again. Find these books and you will be able to find her," Sungwoon says, "Okay, not too hard."

"I don't read," Jisung states, "So, yeah, kinda hard."

"There are clues, aren't there?" Hyeongjun asks, "We can figure this out." 

"Yup, they're all listed here. There are only five clues, so five books," Sungwoon says, "I say we figure out the clues and then go get the books."

"Agreed," Jungkook says, "Also, I'd like to avoid splitting up. I feel like someone else is here and they're watching us..."

"I'm sure it's just one of the librarians," Jihoon says. The group falls silent, trying to listen for the sounds of footsteps. They don't hear anything except for the silent whooshing of the air conditioning. "C'mon, it's fine," Sungwoon says, getting the group to focus on their task, "Those seeking power end up suffering, as it did for one, as ambition got the upper hand." 

"Did I mention I don't read?" Jisung asks, "I'm going to be extremely useless when it comes to solving this one."

Jungkook nudges him, "Don't say that. I'm sure you know more books than you think." Jisung shrugs, still not thinking he could be of much assistance. "Macbeth," Jihoon answers confidently. 

"Are you sure?" Seungcheol questions, "There are so many books where want for power leads to downfall."

"Yes and they've all taken a page out of Shakespeare's book," jihoon says, "I read more than you, Cheol. It's Macbeth." 

Sungwoon nods, "Alright, moving on. A story that pictures a slippery slope, a tale that starts where it ends. 

"The Neverending Story!" Seungcheol exclaims. Jihoon slaps the older and Seungcheol flashes him a hurt look. "What was that for?" Seungcheol questions. 

"It's not the Neverending Story," Jihoon states. 

Seungcheol frowns, "Why can't it be?"

"Cause, it doesn't fit," Jihoon says, "If it was the Neverending story, it would've mentioned the magic of books and how a story never comes to a close." 

"Well, maybe that's too obvious of a clue," Seungcheol replies. 

"Or too obvious of an answer. Just because they talk about how it starts where it ends, doesn't mean it's the Neverending Story," Jihoon exclaims. 

"Jihoon's right," Sungwoon says, "It's too obvious." Jisung frowns, thinking about the clue. A book pops into his head and his eyes light up. He hesitates though, thinking that the book he has in mind is ridiculous. Jungkook notices the younger's actions and pushes him gently. "Jisung has an idea," Jungkook says loudly. Jisung's eyes widen as everyone turns to look at him. "I...uh...could be extremely wrong...you know I don't really know books and all," Jisung murmurs. 

"Don't worry about it," Jihoon says, "It can't be a more ridiculous answer than the Neverending Story." 

Jisung bites his lip, "Uh, yeah, well, I think it may be If You Give a Mouse a Cookie..."

"Like the children's book?" Hyeongjun asks. Jisung nods his head, preparing himself for the others to laugh at him. "That actually makes sense," Jihoon says, "Good job, Jisung." A smile blooms onto Jisung's face and he relaxes a little. Jungkook places a hand on his shoulder and nods, "I told you..."

Seungcheol frowns, "I don't get it! How does that fit more than Neverending Story?"

"I'm confused too," Hyeongjun says, "It's a kid's book. Why would the person who got killed have a children's book as one of their favorites?"

"Who knows why...it just makes sense with the clue. It starts with a mouse asking for a cookie. Ends the same way," Jihoon states, "If it ends up being wrong, we can just try again later, but for now let's just stick with that book." Seungcheol sighs, but doesn't argue anymore. Jihoon nudges him and flashes him an apologetic look, feeling a little guilty for shooting his friends idea down so much. Seungcheol looks to Jihoon and shakes his head, unable to find it within himself to be angry with the younger. "Okay!" Sungwoon says, "A true tale told by child who lost his faith in God and humanity. A tale where it all seemed to come to an end." 

"That's a not an easy clue to decipher," Jungkook comments, "If it's a true story, my assumption would be a memoir, but I don't really know about what it would be about."

"God and humanity being lost," Hyeongjun mutters, "What time dealt with both?"

"The Holocoust," Seungcheol states, "It's a memoir from a Jewish survivor."

"Which one?" Sungwoon questions, "There are many."

"Okay, this could be a shot in the dark, but Night by Elie Weisel?" Jungkook suggests. 

"It's the right book. It all comes to an end," Jihoon says, "Night is at the end of the day. That is what the book was trying to capture. The finality of it all..." The group fall silent again, knowing they had found the next novel. "Let's move on," Sungwoon says, "A book ahead of its time with an eponymous heroine in the limelight for her individualistic character."

"Jane Eyre," Jihoon says without a second thought. The others are surprised, but make the connections between the book and the clue as soon as Jihoon spoke. Sungwoon nods, "On a roll, Jihoon. Last one, children's fears in front of their eyes are used to terrorize them."

"It," Seungcheol says, shivering. Jihoon opens his mouth to say something, but Seungcheol stops him. "I'm right this time, Hoonie. The first time, you were right, but this time I know I have the answer," Seungcheol says, "Trust me." Jihoon hesitates for a second, but nods his head. Seungcheol flashes his friend a smile to which Jihoon returns. "Okay, let's go find these books and meet back up at the bathroom," Sungwoon says. The group disperses heading in separate directions to get the books. After a couple of minutes, they all stand outside the door with the books in their hands. "Is anyone else having a weird feeling?" Jisung asks, "I expected something similar to what happened in the museum to happen when we went to grab the books. This was too easy."

"No, I agree. Something's up," Jungkook says. 

Seungcheol frowns, "Keep on your toes, everyone. We don't know what may be behind that door." The group place the books on the shelves on the door. The door shines and swings open. Smoke comes pouring out of the room and the group stiffen, preparing for the worse. A soft cackling comes from inside and the group all take a step backwards. Hyeongjun whines, tears already starting to form. There are loud shouts start to rise from the bathroom as well. The group all makes eye contact with one another and the same thought crosses all of their heads. "Run," Sungwoon whispers. They all take off, heading into different sections in the library. As they do, the things making noise from the bathroom starts to come out. A clown with a wicked smile, Nazi soldiers with sinister grins, and a very upset mouse? Hyeongjun sticks close to Jihoon and Seungcheol, who have decided to hide in one of the private study rooms. They huddle underneath the desk as the footsteps of the soldiers pass by. Sungwoon and Jisung have taken refuge under the circulation desk. Jungkook hasn't stopped for a second, thinking that he had the best chance if he didn't stop moving. 

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

"Hyungs!!!" Hyeongjun whispers, "What do we do!?"

"Stay hidden," Seungcheol replies, "I'd rather not get into a fight with Nazis." 

"Why is this happening to us?!" Hyeongjun cries. Jihoon sighs and gently rubs the younger's back. "Shhh, freaking out isn't going to help us," Jihoon says, "Seungcheol, we need to get to the bathroom."

"What? You want to leave and go out there," Seungcheol says, his eyes widening. 

Jihoon nods, "The characters will only go away if we get into the bathroom. The museum stopped coming to life once we got the keys, which was our objective. Our objective now is to get into the bathroom."

"I really don't want to go outside," Hyeongjun whines. Seungcheol frowns and gives Jihoon a look. Jihoon shakes his head, "You can stay here with Hyeongjun. I'm going. I'm not becoming a sitting duck." Seungcheol opens his mouth to retort, but finds himself falling silent as Hyeongjun clings to him like a koala bear. Seungcheol can only watch with worry as Jihoon slips out of the study room and goes off. 

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Sungwoon and Jisung flinch when they hear scratching come from somewhere nearby. "What do we do?" Jisung asks. 

Sungwoon looks around, "Just be quiet and wait it out. They'll go away, just like in the museum." Jisung nods and scoots closer to Sungwoon. The two remain close, afraid that one of the story characters could come after them. Suddenly, a figure drops down in front of them. The two stare with wide eyes at a small mouse who carries cookies in his hands. "Is that a mouse?" Sungwoon asks, staring at the tiny creature. 

"Yeah...it is....and it's holding a...cookie?" Jisung says confused. Suddenly, the tiny creature starts to hurl cookies at them. Jisung yelps in surprise as the cookie makes contact with his body. Sungwoon yells out as the treat hits him straight in the forehead. The two try their hardest to deflect the downpour of sweet chocolate desserts, but they fail. The mouse lets out an evil mouse laugh as his shots make contact. Sungwoon and Jisung bat at the air as the onslaught continues. Sungwoon reaches above them, trying to find something on the desk to help them out. His hand closes around are book, which he brings down swiftly. He swings it at the mouse, sending the tiny animal souring through the air and down the nonfiction section. Jisung and Sungwoon let out a breath and brush crumbs from off their bodies. "Sungwoon hyung? Jisung?" Jihoon says, running up to where they're currently hiding. 

"Jihoon? What are you doing? You need to hide," Sungwoon says. 

Jihoon shakes his head, "Hiding won't make them go away. I'm heading to the bathroom. I think if we all gather there, the characters will go back to their books."

"You think?" Jisung mutters, "You could be wrong, Jihoon hyung. We just encountered one of them, but the mouse is the least of our worries. There are Nazis! And a freaking clown! We could get killed!"

"Well, that's why I'm moving fast," Jihoon says, "There's no time to waste." 

"Where's Seungcheol?" Sungwoon asks. 

Jihoon points to the right, "Hiding in a room with Hyeongjun."

"He didn't want to come with you?" Jisung says in surprise. 

Jihoon frowns, "He said it was too dangerous. It's fine. He can stay there if he wants. We don't always have to go places together just because we're in the same group."

"That's not what I meant. I'm just surprised Seungcheol hyung let you out of his sights," Jisung says, "He's pretty protective."

"I don't need protecting," Jihoon mutters, "I'm going to make a run for it before the freaking clown comes, I can hear it's laughter getting closer. You guys coming?" Jisung and Sungwoon exchange looks before nodding their heads. Jihoon is right about one thing. Those characters aren't going to just disappear if they sit there in hiding. The three guys start to make their way to the bathroom, being careful to watch for the creepy clown or crazy soldiers. 

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Jungkook sidesteps out of the way of one of the Nazi's batons. He takes off down the DVDS section, trying to put as much distance between him and the soldiers. He stops and leans against the wall, listening for the sounds of footsteps or the yell of a command in German. "Hurry up!" Jihoon shouts, "I hear the freaking Nazis!" 

"Why are you so fast, hyung!?" Jisung yells back. 

Jihoon exclaims loudly, "Why are you so slow?!" Jungkook frowns and peeks around the corner. He sees Sungwoon, Jisung, and Jihoon running towards the bathroom. He frowns and slowly jogs out to join them. "Where are you guys going?" Jungkook asks. 

Sungwoon looks over his shoulder and slows down, "Guys, wait up!" Jihoon sighs and comes to a stop. Jisung halts and looks back at the others, wondering why they had suddenly stopped. "I thought you were all hiding?" Jungkook says. 

Jihoon shakes his head, "I came up with this theory that all the characters will go away, the second we enter the bathroom. We're heading there to see if it's true."

"Ah, where's Seungcheol and Hyeongjun?" Jungkook says, "I'm surprised he let you out of his sights." 

Jihoon groans, "They wanted to stay hidden. They didn't think it was worth the risk. And, for the record, Seungcheol isn't my babysitter. I go places without him." Jungkook flashes the older a sheepish glance. Jihoon rolls his eyes, he is his own person, people. He may come from a group of thirteen, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't stand out in his own way. "I can come with you all, right?" Jungkook asks. 

Sungwoon nods, "We just need to move quickly and quietly. I don't know about you, but I really don't want to get involved with those characters."

"Especially the Nazis," Jihoon mutters. 

"Forget the Nazis! What about the freaking clown!?" Jisung exclaims as loudly as he possibly could. 

"Shut up!" Jihoon says urgently, "Are you trying to let the Nazis know where we are?" Jisung flashes the group an apologetic look. The apology doesn't do much, since he can't take back the loud noise he made. The group are surrounded in mere seconds. They move closer to one another as the Nazi's circle them. The soldiers yell at them and swing their weapons in their direction. "What do we do?" Jisung asks as he dodges a blow aimed at his head. Jungkook looks around and spots a couple of openings here and there. He doesn't know how long they'll remain this way, so they need to act fast. "On my count, we run," Jungkook says, pointing to the gaps in the Nazi's formation, "We'll meet up at the bathroom." The others nod, understanding the plan. "One...two...three..." Jungkook shouts. The boys take off. The Nazis yell out in surprise and start to split up to chase the guys. Sungwoon takes off to the left and swerves around, trying to lose the Nazis with his erratic movement. He spots the book on his way to the bathroom and slows down to pick it up. As he does, a Nazi lunges at him. Sungwoon moves to the side and uses the book as a weapon again. He swings it at the soldier's face before running into the bathroom. Jungkook goes towards the right, dogging blows left and right from the Nazis. He picks up speed pretty fast, leaving the rest of the Nazis in the dust. Jisung goes straight, but doesn't get far. He shrieks as a Nazi grabs onto his arm. He struggles to get out of the grip, but the Nazi only tightens his hold on the young idol. Jihoon, thankfully, is nearby and kicks the soldier in the knee. The soldier falls and Jisung takes his opportunity to run like crazy towards the bathroom. After saving Jisung, Jihoon runs towards a set of couches and keeps his head low. He waits until he hears the sounds of the soldiers fading before slowly rising and going towards the bathroom. He doesn't notice as a figure creep behind him. It isn't until the figure has wrapped his hand around his mouth and his waist, does he realize how screwed he is. 

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Seungcheol and Hyeongjun remain in the room. Seungcheol hasn't stopped staring at the door, still upset with himself for not following Jihoon. Hyeongjun looks at the older and shakes his head, is this what his hyungs are like with him? He wants to stay inside, but it's clear that Seungcheol wants to go after Jihoon. Hyeongjun would be lying if he said that leaving the confines of the study room stressed him out, but his hyung really wanted to go. He would be afraid, but it would be fine if his hyung is happy. "Hyung," Hyeongjun says, "We can go after, Jihoon, if you want."

"What? No...it's fine," Seungcheol says, breaking his gaze from the door, "It's safer here anyway." 

"You haven't stopped staring at the door since Jihoon hyung left. I know you're worried about him," Hyeongjun says. Seungcheol sighs, knowing that his actions went against whatever argument he could give. "Still, it's dangerous and we don't even know if it'll work," Seungcheol says. 

Hyeongjun sighs, "It shouldn't matter. You're worried about Jihoon hyung. It's all you're going to think about if we stay here, so we might as well go and find him. I'm okay with it, hyung. Let's just go. I know how much it would mean to you." 

"Are you sure?" Seungcheol asks.

Hyeongjun nods, "Let's go...before I change my mind because of fear..." The two creep out of the study room and make their way towards the bathroom. They try to make as little noise as possible, not wanting to attract any of the book characters. They move along at a steady pace, not running into any characters so far. They have a little more to go before they reach the bathroom when they hear a shout. The two jump at the same time and take cover behind one of the librarian's desks. The two peek their heads over the desk and look around, but don't see anyone nearby. Seungcheol tugs on Hyeongjun's sleeve, "C'mon, let's keep moving..." Hyeongjun nods, but doesn't speak, scared about the beings wandering the library. They keep going until they see the bathroom straight in front of them. "We made it," Seungcheol says with a smile, "And without a single run-in with one of the characters. Let's go, Hyeongjun." The leader starts to walk forward, but stops when he notices the younger not following him. "Hyeongjun?" Seungcheol asks, "Is everything okay?" Hyeongjun's shoulders are tense and it's like he's rooted in place. He shakes his head in a stiff manner and raises a shaky hand to point to a red balloon sticking up from the bookshelves to their left. "Crap," Seungcheol says, his heart beginning to race. Hyeongjun's breaths start to quicken and his eyes widen as the balloon moves closer to where the two stand. "Hyeongjun, we can make it to the bathroom before Pennywise gets here. C'mon," Seungcheol says. The younger doesn't seem to hear the older, too overwhelmed with his own fear. "Hyeongjun!" Seungcheol says, waving his hand in front of the younger's face. His actions have no effect, but he keeps trying. Nothing seems to snap Hyeongjun out of his stupor. This gives Pennywise ample time to make his way out of the aisle and right beside the two idols. He smiles and lets out a laugh, "Hiya...." Hyeongjun's eyes water and he shakes in complete terror. Seungcheol shivers, but shakes his head, trying to focus on the task at hand. "We need to run, Hyeongjun. Now!" Seungcheol says urgently. Once again, the leader's plea doesn't work. The clown takes a step closer to the two and Seungcheol frowns. They couldn't just stand around any longer. Seungcheol grabs Hyeongjun's wrist and pulls him hard, not wanting to hurt the younger but knowing that they needed to get out of there. This knocks Hyeongjun back into it and he starts taking off alongside Seungcheol. Tears pour down Hyeongjun's face, but he doesn't stop to wipe them. The two keep going even though they can hear Pennywise closing in on them. The make a mad dash to the bathroom. When they arrive, Seungcheol moves to open the door, but frowns when it doesn't budge. "Hyung! Open the door!" Hyeongjun cries, seeing the clown slowly creeping closer now that its prey has reached a dead end. 

Seungcheol twists the knob, "I'm trying, but it's locked!" He bangs on the door, hoping that there's someone inside to let them in. "It's Seungcheol and Hyeongjun! Let us in! The clown's going to kill us!!!!" Seungcheol yells, slamming his fist to the door. Hyeongjun backs up as Pennywise's smile gets wider and the distance between them closes. Suddenly, the sound of a door unlocking goes off. Seungcheol twists the knob open and wraps his arms around Hyeongjun. He pulls the younger into the bathroom before promptly shutting the bathroom door. He lets go of Hyeongjun once inside and locks the door. "Move out of the way, hyung," Jungkook says with a chair in his hand. Seungcheol stands to the side and watches as Jungkook fits the chair under the doorknob for extra protection. Hyeongjun lets out a sigh of relief and starts to wipe at the tears on his face. Seungcheol glances at the others in the bathroom. Jungkook looks like he's been doing a lot of exercise. Sungwoon has the book under his arm and Jisung keeps eyeing the door nervously. Seungcheol frowns when he doesn't spot Jihoon. "What are you guys doing here?" Sungwoon asks, "Jihoon said that you were going to stay hidden."

"Yeah, well, change of plans," Seungcheol states, "Where is Jihoon?"

"Last I saw him he was hiding from the Nazis," Jisung answers, "My guess is he's still hiding and will be here soon." Seungcheol nods his head slowly. "So, did the theory prove true?" Hyeongjun asks, "Are the characters all gone?" 

Jungkook shakes his head, "No. We thought they would disappear the second we entered, but they're still here." Suddenly, there's a knocking on the door followed by an eerie laugh. "Come out and play," Pennywise cackles. 

Hyeongjun moves far from the door, "We need to get rid of them. Did the book say anything?" 

"We were just about to check when you guys knocked," Jisung says. Sungwoon nods and places the book down. He opens to the most recent page and reads, "In order to make the characters go away, you must find the name of the victim in some way."

"The name of the victim?" Jungkook says, "Where is the victim? She's not in the bathroom."

"You don't think she's in another place, do you? Seungcheol wonders. 

Jisung shakes his head, "No way, I'm not going back out there."

"Me either," Hyeongjun says. 

Sungwoon nods, "Don't worry. I'm almost a hundred percent sure the body will reveal itself once we get the characters to go away, which we can only do if we find the victim's name."

"How are we supposed to find her name without any clues?" Jungkook asks. 

"We do have some clues," Hyeongjun says, "The ones about the books and the fact that she likes to read." 

"That could mean that her name is based off of her favorite books," Sungwoon suggests. 

"I got an idea," Jisung says, "What if it's the characters that aren't alive? Like Jane from Jane Eyre?"

"Or Ophelia from Hamlet," Seungcheol continues. 

Jungkook nods, "Okay, let's try, is the name Jane?" The noises outside go silent for a second before commencing again. This time there is an added sound of Nazi soldiers gathering and receiving orders. Their harsh German added with Pennywise's laughing creates a chilling new song. "Okay, so definitely not Jane," Jisung says. 

"Ophelia? Gertrude?" Sungwoon asks loudly. None of his answers seem acceptable as the noises and banging on the door increase. The chair raddles under the door knob and Jungkook goes to make sure it stays in place. "If those aren't the name, what is it?" Hyeongjun asks. 

"I don't know," Sungwoon says, "All I know is that it has to do with the books. I don't know specifically what with the books!" The banging gets louder and louder. The group start to get more and more worried as it seems like they're second away from getting attacked. "What do we do?" Hyeongjun asks, "We have no idea what the name is and they haven't stopped trying to get into the bathroom."

"We need to find the answer," Jungkook says, "This door is going to come down soon if we don't come up with something fast! The Nazis are using their weapons! And the freaking clown is doing something funky with the doorknob..." 

"Hey, at least, we don't have to worry about the mouse. Sungwoon took care of that, the pen is truly mightier than the sword!" Jisung says with a forced smile. 

"Now is not the time, Jisung," Jungkook says. 

Jisung sighs, "I know, I'm just trying to think positively here and lighten the mood." The group fall silent, feeling lost. The sounds from outside get louder and more frequent. The group inside get more worried, trying any name that popped into their heads. They continue to do this, to no avail. "If only we had another hint," Sungwoon mutters, trying to think of something. Seungcheol looks around the bathroom, hoping for something to give them assistance. His eyes land on the book and he gapes, why hadn't he thought of this before. The sounds from outside increase and the door creaks as the soldiers start to ram into it with their bodies. "Eve!" Seungcheol shouts, "You need to help us! I know you want us to figure this out for your enjoyment, but we're not going to figure this out! I know you don't want to lose another batch of characters, especially since we've gotten this far! Give us a hint to solve this!" The others stare at the book, wondering if Seungcheol actually convinced Eve to give them assistance. The book glows a faint purple and the others stare at in in surprise, not having had high expectations of receiving an answer. Seungcheol goes to the book and flips to the next page. "Just this one and only time, cause your handsome," Seungcheol reads, "Here's the hint. Name is to person as blank is to book..."

"Title," Hyeongjun answers right away. The others look at the younger in surprise, not expecting for him to answer so quickly. Hyeongjun shrugs, "What? I'm good at these types of things..." 

"Title...that means that the victim's name relates to the titles of the books," Jungkook mutters.

"Oooo, I got it!" Jisung exclaims, "Minji! The first letter of each of the book title put together spells out Minji!" Smoke starts to rise around their ankles and the group watches with wide eyes. The book starts to glow a faint purple and the noise from outside start to die down. After a couple of minutes, it falls silent and the smoke starts to clear. Hyeongjun is the one to break the silence with a piercing scream. The boys all jump, expecting the worse. They look to their right and see a female with multiple deep cuts littering her body. Her eyes remain open, but the life has completely drained out of them. Sungwoon grabs Hyeongjun and covers his eyes, knowing it was best for the younger to not continue to stare at the dead body. "That's Minji," Jisung mutters, averting his eyes. 

Seungcheol nods, "Looks like we did it." Jungkook slowly moves the chair away and unlocks the door. He cracks the door open a little and peeks outside. He lets out a sigh of relief when he doesn't see anyone waiting to attack. He opens the door, "Come on. Let's go outside and figure out what to do next, staring at the body isn't going to do anything." They all file out of the bathroom and gather around the same table from before. "Hey...where's Jihoon?" Seungcheol asks, "He never came to the bathroom."

"Maybe, he was blocked because of all the characters were crowded by the door," Jisung says. 

"Well, they're gone now. I would think that Jihoon would've come over," Seungcheol says, his voice rising. 

Sungwoon places his hand on Seungcheol's shoulder, "Calm down. I'm sure, he's here somewhere." Seungcheol frowns and shrugs Sungwoon's hand off. "Jihoon!" He shouts. His voice echoes throughout the library, but nobody answers. There's no sound of footsteps or any other noise that could've come from Jihoon. "Where is he?" Seungcheol asks. The boys all shrug, not knowing at all where the small vocalist could be. Seungcheol huffs, "I'm going to find him."

"Wait! Let's check the book first," Jungkook says. 

Seungcheol shakes his head, "What good is that going to do? Do you actually think that the book is going to show Jihoon?"

"There's one way to find out," Hyeongjun says, flipping through the book. He stops at the most recent page and sees a picture pasted onto the paper. The youngest's eyes widen as he takes in the contents on the picture. He grabs the book and tilts it away from Seungcheol, knowing that his hyung wouldn't want to see it. Sungwoon notices this and moves to take a peek. He gapes at the image and helps Hyeongjun hide it. Jisung and Jungkook catch a glimpse, but what they saw is enough for them to get the message. They stand by Seungcheol, trying their best to keep the book away from him. Seungcheol's eyes narrow, "What? Why are you all acting so weirdly? What don't you want me to see?"

"No...that's not it," Sungwoon says, "You were right, the book didn't show him." 

Seungcheol scoffs, "Do you think I'm just going to believe you? All four of you are acting weird. What are you hiding from me? I don't care what it is, but I think I deserve to know." The others exchange glances, a bit hesitant. In the end, Hyeongjun lowers the book and positions it so Seungcheol can get a good view. The picture is one of Jihoon. He lays sprawled on the floor, his eyes sealed shut and a large bruise forming around his neck in the shape of hands. Seungcheol punches the table, "What the hell!? Who did that to Jihoon!?"

"It had to be one of the characters," Jisung says, "Jihoon hyung must have gotten caught." Seungcheol runs a hand through his hair and starts to pace back and forth. He starts to mutter curses under his breath. "I'm so freaking stupid. Why did I just let him go? I should've followed him right away," Seungcheol grumbles. 

"It probably looks a lot worse than it is," Jungkook says, "I'm sure he's fine. Let's go find him. It looks like he's near the mystery books." Seungcheol takes off instantly, not waiting for the others. When they arrive, the area looks just like it did in the picture. Seungcheol drops to his knees and checks Jihoon. He lets out a sigh when he notices the younger is breathing and starts to shake him gently. "Jihoonie!? Jihoonie? Wake up!" Seungcheol says. The rest of the guys stand around the two, watching with worried looks on their faces. Seungcheol continues to nudge Jihoon and only after the fiftieth nudge, does Jihoon stir. The vocalist groans a little before his eyes shoot open and he sits up. He looks around anxiously, but groans when the movement causes his neck pain. "It's okay, Jihoon. It's just us," Seungcheol says, "Are you alright?" Jihoon looks at Seungcheol and relaxes a little. "Cheollie..." Jihoon whispers, "He...he..."

"Who's he, Jihoonie? Who did this to you?" Seungcheol asks. He can't help but feel worried, after all, Jihoon rarely ever called him anything other than Seungcheol. Jihoon opens his mouth, but struggles to form the words. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a folded sheet of paper. Seungcheol takes it from him and give the younger a confused look. "T-the murderer attacked me...h-he strangled me until I passed out," Jihoon says, still shaken from the experience, "I-I didn't get a good look at him...I just remember that it was a guy and he slipped this note into my pocket..." Seungcheol nods and gently pats Jihoon on the head. For the first time, Jihoon doesn't protest to the action. Jihoon starts to stand back up with the help of Seungcheol. Sungwoon takes the note from Seungcheol and unfolds it, "I was more than surprised to discover six people trying to uncover the murders I have committed. I was even more surprised to find that it was just six idols doing so. I don't like people interfering with my business, so I decided to have a chat with this one. I must say, I really do like him. It's been awhile since anyone has fought against me. It was quite enjoyable and made my job a little more exhilarating. I like this one, a lot. Let's get to the point of this message. You all need to stop getting involved in my affairs. Let it be and stop trying to solve this mystery. You'll regret it if you do. Unless, you want to just give this one to me. I like him, so I'd be more than happy to take him from your hands." The group tenses, realizing the seriousness of the note. "Is this legit?" Jisung asks. 

Jihoon shrugs, "Why don't you ask the freaking hand marks around my neck?" 

"Okay, so we just got a message from a killer," Hyeongjun says, "What are we going to do now?"

"We can't just stop searching. If we do, Eve will get mad," Jungkook says. 

Sungwoon frowns, "We can't keep searching or the murderer is going to come for us next." 

"I'll take my chances with Eve," Seungcheol says, "We have another mystery to solve anyway. We still want to find out who Eve is and how she's doing all this." 

"No way," Jihoon states, "We're catching that murderer."

"Are you nuts? That guy almost killed you and you still want to go after him!" Seungcheol exclaims, "Jihoon! Think!" The others keep silent, watching the two argue about what to do next. "I am thinking. We need to go after him," Jihoon says firmly, "It shouldn't even be a question. We have to do it." 

"Jihoon, listen to yourself. That's crazy talk. Our lives are in real danger if we go after him. You know people have died doing these stories before. I don't want any of our names to added to that list," Seungcheol says through gritted teeth. 

Jihoon looks Seungcheol in the eye, "It isn't just about that. You know why we're doing this. You know what happens if we stop."

"I do know, but we can deal with all of that. We can't do anything if we get killed by a crazy person!" Seungcheol shouts, "I can't just let you do this, Jihoon. You're running straight into danger."

"Yeah, I am, but not for thrills. I'm doing this because I have to," Jihoon says, "If we don't finish this story, we get screwed. The people we care about could be affected by Eve. I'm not letting something like that happen. I let myself get dragged into this mess, I'm not letting the ones I love get pulled into it too. I already brought you into this, Cheol, I can't do that to anyone else."

"Jihoon, this is not one of those moments where you be selfless. This is your life we're talking about! And don't say you'll just be careful. Careful may not cut it. It may not guarantee you walk away when the story ends unscathed," Seungcheol exclaims.

"Do you think I'm not scared out of my mind? I'm more than afraid. I don't want anything bad to happen to me, but I can't think about that now. I know what I need to do and that's worth any risk," Jihoon shouts. 

Seungcheol huffs, "Even when that risk is your life?!" 

Jihoon groans and looks at Seungcheol with fire in his eyes, "I'm done, Seungcheol. I don't care whether you let me do this or not. I'm going to find the murderer with you or without. I don't need you to hold my hand. We don't need to do everything together." Seungcheol opens his mouth to retort, but closes it a second after. His friend isn't going to budge. And, Seungcheol is definitely not going to leave the younger to face all this by himself. He sighs and shakes his head, "Why do you always have to be so stubborn?"

"That's just who I am," Jihoon answers. 

Seungcheol purses his lips, "I'm going to regret saying this, but fine. Let's continue this stupid story." Jihoon smiles, proud of himself for winning the fight. "Are you guys all up for this?" Seungcheol asks the rest of the group. 

Sungwoon nods, "I'm not leaving any of you to solve this by yourself."

"We started this together, let's end it the same way," Jisung says. 

Hyeongjun nods, "I'm worried, but if Jihoon hyung can build up courage than I can too."

"I never leave anything unfinished. We can do this," Jungkook says. With a newfound sense of purpose, the group make their way back to where the book is. The book glows purple and has new words written on it. "Your mission here is not over. Minji was a reader, but she has her own story to tell. Check this thing made of wood, but not a stick and when listing all the elements, it comes after periodic." Seungcheol reads, "I really hate clues, does anyone have any idea?"

"It's a table," Sungwoon answers, "Minji's desk must have something." The group all head to where there are a bunch of librarian's desks. They search for Minji's nameplate on one of them. They search for a while before Hyeonjung lets out a gasp. "I found it!" Hyeongjun exclaims, already opening drawers and peeking for something that may tell Minji's story. Jungkook helps the youngest by going through the folders and notebooks on the desk. The young rapper grabs onto an old book and starts to flip through it. His eyes widen when he spots a page filled with signatures. "I think I got something!" Jungkook says, "This is a yearbook filled with signatures. I recognize a couple of names...Areum, Chulsoon, and Jaesung...their names are all here." Sungwoon holds his hand out and Jungkook passes the book to him. The vocalist skims through the notes and nods his head, "From what I can tell, Minji was good friends with the three who were also killed."

"That means that all of our victims knew each other," Jisung says. 

Jihoon nods, "They were close too. That could mean that the killer is someone close to them as well. Do you think it's one of the other people who signed the book?"

"Possibly, it's hard to tell though since there are so many signatures in it," Jungkook says. 

"Are we sure this isn't just some random killing?" Seungcheol asks, "That it's all just coincidence?"

"I would say it could be, but with all the connections we made so far, I don't think that's true," Sungwoon says, "Our killer had a reason for what he did. We just need to find out what that reason was."

"Maybe, he got bullied by all of these people and wanted revenge?" Hyeongjun suggests. 

"It's definitely a possibility," Sungwoon says, "The only way to know for sure is to find more clues." The boys start to move, but before they can Sungwoon stops them. "Wait, let's talk about this story for a second," Sungwoon says, "As in Eve..."

Jisung nods, "I almost completely forgot about our own mission while we were wrapped up with this murder mystery."

"Do we have any idea what's the cause of all this?" Sungwoon asks, "It doesn't make much sense in a logical way."

"The museum coming to life and then the same happening with the characters. A voice coming from an inanimate object. The book itself. All of it is unreal. It's not possible," Jungkook says. 

"The only explanation for it would be magic," Hyeongjun says with wide eyes. 

Jihoon frowns, "But, magic doesn't exist."

"Then, how else would you explain what's happening to us?" Seungcheol mutters. Suddenly, the lights start to flash and the group gather closer together. What now? "Did I not tell you to focus on the story? What do you all think you're doing? Focus on the mystery of the killings. Don't try to figure out something that you will never find the answer to," Eve says in a threatening tone. The group eye one another, knowing that they had definitely made some progress on their own personal mystery. Eve seems more distressed because of the knowledge they've been able to obtain, albeit not a lot, but enough to put the powerful being on edge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The boys are discovering more and more. Ooooooooo. Also, I'd like to mention that I love Woozi with all of my heart. I'm making him go through so much in this story. Poor Jihoonie. It's okay, it'll all work out in the end. Or will it? Kekekeke. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and are enjoying this story. We are officially halfway through. If you like this story please give it a vote, comment, follow me, add it to your library, and check out my Kpop One-shots. Until the next one!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the third chapter I've posted today. If you haven't already, go check out the previous chapters. This will most likely be the last chapter in posting for today. Expect two chapters for Halloween tomorrow. Now, let's get into it.

The group walk out of the library with wary looks on their faces. They know the danger they are facing now that they've decided to continue their mission. The killer could be watching right now. "Are we sure this is a good idea?" Hyeongjun asks, making sure to stick by his hyungs. 

Jungkook sighs, "It's too late to back out now. Just be careful and be aware of your surroundings. The boys slowly make their way down the street, glancing behind and around them. It got pretty late, the sun is starting to set and the sky is a pretty hue of orange. Before they had left the library, they had received another clue from the book. It was rather simple to decipher and the group are currently making their way to the amusement park. Just like before, when they arrive, there isn't a single soul there. The amusement park looks really run down, but it's definitely still open for business. The entire area has been decorated for Halloween. Pumpkins and fake cobwebs are scattered around the front fence. Bats and ghosts are hanging from some of the concession stands. The park is completely decked out for the frightful night of Halloween. "Are we breaking in again?" Hyeongjun asks. 

"We're not breaking in," Sungwoon says, "The place is still open."

"We're just entering without paying," Jihoon says, already making his way to the fence. He starts to scale it and Seungcheol rushes over, worried that that the small producer could take a tumble. Jisung sighs and goes to do the same on a nearby fence. Jungkook helps Hyeongjun scale it before climbing over himself. After a few minutes, the group all gather on the other side. They look around in awe and surprise. The place isn't in the best shape. The rides look old and rusted. No one seems to have come to the park, not even the workers. "Are we sure this is the right amusement park?" Jisung asks.

Seungcheol nods, "Completely abandoned and creepy. Just like all the other locations. This is our place. If we're going to find a dead body at any amusement park, it would be this one."

"I hate that we're talking about dead bodies so nonchalantly," Jungkook says with a shiver. 

Jihoon sighs, "Yeah, I don't like it either. Let's just find the body and find out who our killer is and get this over with. We can go back to normal lives. No more dead bodies, crazy murders, weird books, or magic users..." 

"Agreed," Sungwoon says. 

Suddenly, Hyeongjun points to something at the floor, "There's arrows!" Just like the young idol said, there are white arrows drawn onto the floor in chalk. "That's not weird," Jihoon mutters. 

"Do you think they're for us?" Jisung asks, "It could just be for the park visitors."

"Let's find out," Seungcheol says, already walking in the direction the arrows are pointed at. The boys follow, keeping close as they move around the unknown amusement park. The boys follow the arrows all the way to an interesting looking room labeled Maze of Mirrors. Jisung frowns, "I thought the arrows were going to lead us to the bathroom."

"I had the same thought," Sungwoon says, "Are we sure this isn't a trap? It's beginning to seem more like it is." Jungkook breaks from the group and takes a step towards the room. There's a note taped onto the door that Jungkook pulls off. "Is it from the killer?" Seungcheol asks. 

Jungkook shakes his head, "It's part of the story. It's from Eve. You've almost reached the end of your journey."

"That means this is the last body!" Hyeongjun exclaims, "The last clues to figure out why this murderer is doing all of this." 

Jungkook nods and continues to read the note, "All that is left is to figure out this last puzzle and you may be able to go home free. We're mixing things up for the final chapter. In order to see the body, you must find out the girl's name first. It is around this maze of mirrors. You must find all the letters and use it to form the victim's name. You must do this alone. Once the name is found, the body will be revealed and the rest of the story is up to you. Good luck."

"Wow, Eve wished us luck," Seungcheol mutters.

Jihoon sighs, "It means we're going to be facing something not so enjoyable in there." 

"We've already dealt with alive museum exhibits and book characters come to life," Jisung says, "What could be worse than that?"

"Let's not jinx ourselves," Sungwoon says, "Maybe, Eve has taken a liking to us and doesn't want to see anyone die."

"Highly doubtful," Jihoon says, "We should get started. I have a feeling it isn't going to be easy to find the letters of the victim's name. It's a maze after all." 

"Do we have to split up?" Hyeongjun asks. 

Jungkook nods, "We have to play by the rules. It's okay, it's not that big of a deal. We can handle this. We have to try not to get too worried and be careful just in case the killer is nearby, but other than that we should be able to do this easily. We're pros at this point. It's only a maze and all mazes have exits. We can do this, guys, right? Fighting!" 

"Fighting!" The others exclaim at the same time. They take a deep breath and slowly walk towards the maze of mirrors. They open the door and stare at the loads of mirrors. They walk in, one after another, heading in different directions. The plan is simple, find the letters for the victim's names and meet back outside afterwards, no matter how long it may take.

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Jungkook walks slowly, trying to find the letter of the victim's name. He struggles to tell which direction is the right one. The reflections being cast by the mirrors makes his head spin. He can hear the footsteps of the others, but he has no idea where they could be. This maze is a lot bigger than he had first thought. Jungkook looks to his left and starts to walk in that direction. He glances at the floor, but doesn't spot anything. He comes to a stop in front of a large mirror that shows his reflection. He sighs and stares at it. He runs his hand through his hair, realizing now how long it has gotten. He shakes his head, "Gotta focus..." 

"You're struggling a lot with this. Aren't you supposed to be good at everything?" His reflection says to him. Jungkook stares at the mirror in front of him in shock. "Don't look so surprised. After everything that's happened, are you even that amazed your freaking reflection is talking to you?" The Reflection states. 

"What do you want?" Jungkook asks. 

The Reflection shrugs, "Nothing much. Just thought I would drop in on you and see how you're doing."

"I don't have time to talk to you," Jungkook says.

The Reflection scoffs, "Of course you do. It's not like you're doing anything else. You weren't going to find anything. You've been pretty useless throughout this entire journey." 

"That's not true," Jungkook says. 

"Keep telling yourself that. All you did was carry a stupid book and run around a lot. Not a single clue was solved by you," The Reflection says with a smirk, "You're supposed to be the golden maknae. You ain't living up to that, buddy." 

"Shut up," Jungkook says, turning away from the Reflection. He starts to walk away, but he doesn't get far when he is faced by the Reflection again. "You're in a maze of mirrors. You're going to see your reflection no matter where you are. I don't know why you would think that you were going to get away from me. You're not very smart, Jungkookie..." The Reflection says with a chuckle. 

Jungkook huffs, "What do you want from me?" 

"Just for you to see that you're nothing special. That you never have lived up to your name. You're a huge disappointment, Jungkook," The Reflection says, "The whole world watches you and they can't see how much you fall short because they are blinded by their devotion for you." 

"Don't talk about ARMY like that," Jungkook states with a glare. 

"I can do anything I want," The Reflection says, "This is all your own fault, Jungkook. I wouldn't be here if you didn't suck so badly. You could be better. You could contribute a bit more. You could stop staying silent and watching everyone else do things. Singing and dancing isn't going to get you by, Jungkook. It's useless when you're as pathetic as you." 

Jungkook fists clench, "I am done. I know that I'm not as golden as everyone thinks. I may not be as smart as the others, but I do my best. I may not be able to do much, but I do what I can. No one can be good at everything. That includes me. I can only do the best at the things I am good at. I can only be the best me that there is. That's who I am. I'm the best version of me. The me that sings and messes up. The me that makes my hyungs smile and the one that pokes fun at them. The one who runs like the wind and carries a magic book. I'm golden because I know who I am. I'm golden because I'm Jeon Jungkook. Not because I can do everything, but because I'm me." 

The Reflection nods his head slowly and smiles a little, "I'm glad that's how you feel. Keep that with you, Jeon Jungkook. Good luck." Jungkook watches with wide eyes as the reflection disappears and returns to a non-talking one. Suddenly, the sound of something falling to the floor rings. Jungkook looks around and spots a plastic piece on the floor. He bends down to pick it up and looks at the piece with the letter H on it. 

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Seungcheol keeps his eyes trained to the floor, hoping to find the clue quickly. He didn't have much luck. He's been walking around for a few minutes now and not a single thing could be spotted. Seungcheol sighs, but keeps his eyes peeled for anything. He walks for a couple more minutes when he spots something shiny. He pounces on it like a cat with a mouse. He grabs onto it and stares at it. He groans when he realizes it's nothing more than an old candy wrapper. He tosses it to the side and starts to search again. "What in the world are you doing?" A voice says. Seungcheol jumps and looks around for the source of the voice. His gaze falls on his reflection, who has a bored expression on his face. Seungcheol gapes, in disbelief. "Yes, yes, I'm your reflection. And yes, I'm talking," The Reflection says as if he's been through this a couple times already. 

"How?" Seungcheol asks.

The Reflection sighs, "It'll take too long to explain. I have things to do."

"So, do I," Seungcheol says, remembering his objective. 

"Ah, yes, finding those letters and defeating the killer," The Reflection says, "That's not going so well, is it?"

"It's going fine. We're almost at the end," Seungcheol replies with a grumble, still looking around the floor.

"Will you look at me when you speak?" The Reflection states. Seungcheol groans, but looks up at the Reflection. The Reflection smiles, "Thanks, you're a peach. It doesn't matter if you've neared the end. You've failed at your own personal mission."

"What are you talking about?" Seungcheol asks. 

The Reflection chuckles, "Protecting Jihoonie, of course." Seungcheol tenses after hearing the Reflection say the name of his friend. "Jihoon is just a little bruised," Seungcheol says, "The thing that matters is that he is alive."

"He wouldn't have had a single mark on him if you had done your job," The Reflection says. 

Seungcheol frowns, "Are you trying to irk me or something?"

"I don't know, am I?" The Reflection asks, "I'm just trying to get you to realize what's wrong here."

"Enlighten me," Seungcheol says. 

"It's rather simple, it's you," The Reflection states. Seungcheol scoffs and shakes his head. "You don't believe me? Do I need to point out the evidence?" The Reflection asks, "Exhibit one, Jihoon. Exhibit two, SEVENTEEN."

Seungcheol grimaces, "What are you going on about? Are you trying to say that I've done a bad job protecting Jihoon and as a leader to my group?"

"You said it, not me," The Reflection says, "You see, from the get go, you were bound to fail. You just are bad at everything, Seungcheol. Jihoon needed you and instead you let him just run free. What were you thinking? He got hurt by the killer because of you. A killer. If only you had stayed by his side."

"It wasn't safe," Seungcheol states.

The Reflection nods, "I guess it wasn't, yet you let Jihoon go from that safe place to the unsafe one. Didn't you say you would always protect him? Where were you when he had someone's hands around his neck? Oh, right, you were hiding..."

"I-I..." Seungcheol starts. 

The Reflection smirks, "Yes, yes, stutter...you can't say anything because you know I'm right. Let's move on to exhibit two. You are a horrific leader. Do you really think you do much? There's thirteen members and they're all pretty independent, don't you think? Why would they need you? It's not like you act like a leader. The only leader thing you do is lead the introductions. Ooooo, chilling. I'm sure anyone else could do it and it would be just fine. They don't need you as their leader. They don't need you at all. Not that impressive of a rapper or a singer. Your dancing is only so so...you're not needed. You should just quit. You suck at what you do anyway. You can't do anything right." Seungcheol looks down, the words spoken by his Reflection getting to him. It did hold some truth to it. He had failed Jihoon. He wasn't a good leader. He didn't deserve to be on those lists of good leaders. He wasn't a good one. He just isn't good. These thoughts have crossed his mind before. He's always felt inadequate, like he wasn't enough. Seungcheol had kept this to himself in the past, but Jihoon had found out. Jihoon had told him that he was wrong. Jihoon told him that he was important. That he was the best there is. He couldn't help but think Jihoon is wrong. But, when has Jihoon ever been wrong? Seungcheol looks up at the Reflection with fire in his eyes, "Who are you to tell me whether I'm doing a good job or not? I'm doing fine. Maybe, I mess up a few times. Maybe, I don't always do things the way they probably should've been done. That doesn't make me bad at what I do. It makes me human. I make mistakes. I fail. I admit that I didn't help Jihoon when he needed me to, but that is something I will make sure won't happen again. I may not be the best leader there could ever be. But, I'm the leader that supports my group and does his best. I lead a group of thirteen boys. That isn't an easy task. No matter how much I fail, I'll get back up. I'm going to fail because I'm human, but I'm never going to let that stop me from fighting until the end." 

The Reflection nods, "You're stronger than I thought. I assumed you would have given up. I'm happy you didn't, keep going Choi Seungcheol. I look forward to see where your story goes." The Reflection fades away, leaving Seungcheol alone. The leader blinks, still in disbelief over what had just happened. He sighs and looks down at the floor again, where a piece of wood with the letter A is on it. 

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Hyeongjun bites his lip nervously as he makes his way around the maze. He's never been good at mazes, so he is extremely nervous. The fact that he is alone and without a single one of his hyungs also worried him. All he could think about is what if something happened to him or what would he do if he saw the killer. He tries to push these thoughts to the back of his head while he searches for the letter, but it's difficult. He takes a deep breath and takes another step forward. The faster he finds the letter, the faster he can get out of here. He moves tentatively, looking around just as nervously. He keeps searching even though he can feel something or someone is watching him. "Wow...this is pathetic," A voice mutters. Hyeongjun screams and looks around in complete panic. The voice sighs, "I can't believe someone can be that scared." 

"W-who a-are y-you?" Hyeongjun stutters, looking around frantically. 

"To your right," The voice says. Hyeongjun turns to the right in a slow mechanical sort of way. His eyes widen when he spots his reflection, who looks as if he's leaning against a wall. The Reflection waves at him and Hyeongjun returns the gesture. "What are you?" Hyeongjun asks. 

The Reflection smiles, "What do you think I am?"

"I-I don't really know," Hyeongjun says, "Are you going to attack me?"

"Not in the way you would think," The Reflection says quietly. Hyeongjun doesn't catch what the Reflection says, but his face still shows worry. "I don't want any trouble," Hyeongjun whispers.

"You never do. You're too naive, Hyeongjun," The Reflection says, "I don't think I've ever heard someone scream as much as someone like you. You're so young...and already is going through so much..."

"I'd rather let it out than keep it bottled inside," Hyeongjun says, "That's what my parents always told me." 

"Aw...cute," The Reflection comments, "You know this whole kind-hearted, young boy act isn't working. Have you not seen the news? They think you cheated your way into your group." Hyeongjun tenses, not expecting for the Reflection to bring that up. "You should stop acting like that, Hyeongjun. Stop acting all cute and innocent and nervous. We all know you aren't. You have a vicious personality. One that made you aim for a part in X1. You had the mentality that you couldn't stop at anything. That's the part you hide from people."

"I didn't do anything," Hyeongjun says, "I really didn't."

"I'm sure. Either way you don't deserve your position in X1. You're so young and you haven't even trained for that long. You have no idea what you're doing. It's almost like teaching a baby to read...they just can't comprehend it at all," The Reflection states, "Just like you, Hyeongjun. You look like a lost puppy. You aren't ready for this. It would've been better if you had just given up your position. Or even have dropped from the show. You're in over your head. You can't do this. You cry so easily, did you actually think you could take the pressure? It's all too much for someone like you, Hyeongjun. Between your inadequacies and the things people say, you should just get out of the limelight before it's too late." Hyeongjun's hands shake a little, but he clenches them into tight fist instantly. He looks up at the Reflection and starts talking in a clear, loud voice, "I'm not leaving. I'm staying right here. I know what people say. I've seen it and heard it. I'm used to it. It hurts, but I can't let it bother me. When I joined Produce, I met so many other talented trainees. They all deserved a chance to debut. We all worked hard. I think we all deserved a chance. I never imagined getting mine, but I did. I'm thankful for it and I feel so lucky to have been chosen. I know that people think I cheated my way there, but I worked hard. Just like all the other trainees. I did my best. I was lucky and at that time my best was enough. And I know, that I'm not that prepared for what's to come. I know that I've only just debuted and I don't even really know how to be an idol. I'm going through a lot of my firsts with X1. I still don't know how to do any of this. But, I'm going to learn. I'm going to become someone worthy of the position in X1. I may not become the best idol, but I'm going to work hard to become an idol that people can look at and be impressed by. I'm going to learn. I'm going to do it. I'm not going to let anything or anyone stop me from reaching my potential. Cause, I know I have that. I have the potential to be something and I'm going to reach that. I don't care what people have to say to me, I'm not going to let that be what holds me back from reaching my dreams."

The Reflection smiles and stands up straight, "Strong words coming from someone so young. I hope you understand the weight of those words. You're going to have to work a lot if you want to reach your goals. I think you can do it though. You have something I don't see in loads of idols, preserverance. Work hard, Hyeongjun. Good luck." Hyeongjun watches with teary eyes as the reflection disappears and a piece of paper floats from the sky. The young idol grabs it and sees the letter E printed in bold text. 

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Jisung creeps around the maze of mirrors like some sort of spy. He makes dramatic pauses and leans against the mirrors as if hiding from something. He peeks around corners for clues and sighs everytime he can't find something. "You look stupid," His reflection says from the mirror Jisung is currently leaning against. Jisung jumps back and stares at the mirror in a mix of surprise and awe. "How is this possible?" Jisung asks.

The Reflection brushes its clothes, "Magic..."

"Really?" Jisung asks, his curiosity peaked. The Reflection flashes him a deadpan look and the rapper chuckles nervously. "I never thought I would ever encounter someone so idiotic," The Reflection says. 

"Hey!" Jisung exclaims, "I'm not an idiot."

"Okay, maybe, not an idiot, but weird for sure," The Reflection states. 

Jisung frowns, "Are you just here to make fun of me?"

"As much fun that would be, I do have a purpose here," The Reflection continues, "I need to get it into your silly brain that you need to start taking things seriously." 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jisung asks. 

"It means that you're a freaking joke. This entire journey of yours...you've been nothing aside from comedy relief. You've ran around like a crazy chicken. You made a joke about the killer destroying bathrooms with his poop. This whole situation is supposed to be serious, but you can't seem to take it that way. Must I remind you that this is a murder mystery? Not a comedy..."

"I know that," Jisung says, "I know that this story is important. I'm not slacking off or joking around. I helped with the clues."

"Yes, you did, but other than that you've acted like a fool. People would find it so weird if they found out Han Jisung was placed into a murder mystery. We all know he would never be able to handle that," The Reflection states in a serious tone, "You're just the mood-maker. Nothing more, nothing less. Yes, you're talented, I guess. But, that means nothing when you can't take anything seriously. Do you think you can just make your worries go away with a laugh? People know who you are Jisung. The one who always smiles and makes his members laugh. The one that does things for giggles. That's all you are. All you've ever been. The loose one. The one relaxed with no worries. Are you proud to be that? At least, you know the group won't ever have to fear not smiling..."

Jisung sighs and shakes his head, "That's too bad. I had thought as my reflection you would have known me better, but alas I was wrong. You see, I know who I am. I know that I joke around a lot and don't always take the most serious situation seriously. That doesn't mean that I'm a one-track type of guy. I can be more than just the sunshine of the group. I know when it's not a good time to crack a joke. I know that there are times where things need to remain solemn. I know all of this and I'm capable of doing these things. I more than just what you say. Everyone is allowed to have their own opinion, so if people find my personality annoying so be it. The people who believe I'm only a happy go lucky guy can't judge me. They don't get that right because they think I'm just that jokester. They haven't gotten the time to meet the real me. To know who I really am. That's when they can judge me all they want, but not when they don't know me. My friends and family know who I really am. They know I'm more than just what is on the surface. There's more to me than you may think. Don't be so quick to judge, reflection. Not until you really know me."

The Reflection stares at Jisung and sighs, "Hm, I guess there may be more to you than I had first assumed. You are more than just a fun person, Han Jisung. You are so much more. My job here is done I wish you luck, Jisung." The young rapper watches as the reflection disappears. Suddenly, something hits his shoe. Jisung looks down to see a puzzle piece with the letter W on it.

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Sungwoon looks around with an observant eye. He checks for any loose floorboards or maybe something written on the mirror. Anything that could possibly have the letter, he looks at. His thorough examination of the place is a bit time consuming, but it ensures that he won't glance right over the letter. Even though he is searing every nook and cranny, he can't seem to find anything. He sighs and wonders if the others are having any luck. He comes to a stop in front of another mirror and checks every inch of it. He scans it multiple times just for good measure. "It's not there! Stop wasting your time! There are a billion other mirrors in this place! What are you going to do analyze each one like!? You're going to be here until your fifty!" Sungwoon's reflection shouts. Sungwoon take a step back in shock and stares at the mirror. His Reflection nods his head, "How's it going?"

"How did Eve do this?" Sungwoon asks. 

The Reflection smiles, "You're pretty smart, Ha Sungwoon. The others didn't think that Eve had any influence in my being."

"Thanks," Sungwoon says, a bit wary of the reflection, "Can I help you with something?"

"I'm just here to talk," The Reflection replies, "Will you talk to me?"

"Do I have a choice?" Sungwoon asks. 

The Reflection shakes his head, "Of course not, this is a part of the story. You do what the story says." Sungwoon sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Let's just get this over with," He says in an exasperated tone. 

"I can't believe you're hanging out with another group of people. Wasn't two enough?" The Reflection says, "HOTSHOT and then Wanna One. It seems like neither liked you very much. You didn't fit in really well, did you? HOTSHOT is who knows where. That's why you went to Produce. And there you became the eleventh member of Wanna One. You almost didn't make it. You're different than the others who did. Just a few less votes and you wouldn't have been in the lineup. So sad. That's why you're different, Ha Sungwoon. You don't fit with either group. You don't fit with this group either. No group suits you. A lone wolf. Sad and alone."

"I'm not alone," Sungwoon says, "HOTSHOT is still active and Wanna One members are still my good friends."

"Who cares? In the end, you're not with them. Everyone wants to feel included. To be a part of something. You're just not. Maybe if changed some things it would be better. Not just for you, but for everyone," The Reflection says, "You could finally fit in instead of floating from here to there. I know they call you cloud, but that doesn't mean that you literally have to fly through the sky. Just get grounded somewhere by changing who you are. It'll work out if you do that." 

Sungwoon scoffs, "What is this? Advice? Do you actually think I believe a word you're saying? I've heard way worse than what you're telling me right now. I don't care whether or not I fit in. The groups I'm a part of don't require conformity. What made those groups special is the fact that I was lucky enough to get the chance to be a part of them. It has nothing to do with me fitting in. I am included, not because I'm the same as Ong Seongwu or Noh Taehyun, but because I'm my own person with my own talents. I don't want to conform just to satisfy others. I don't want to conform at all. I am a cloud. I float through the sky, free and unbound. The difference is that I won't ever change. I won't become cumulonimbus when it needs to rain or a nimbostratus when it snows. I'll be my own cloud. My own special, unique cloud."

The Reflection lets out a sigh, "How did I know that this was going to happen? In the end, I'm glad it did and that you are not easily persuaded, Ha Sungwoon. Don't let anyone change your mind or you. I wish you luck on the rest of your journey." The Reflection fades away and Sungwoon lets out a sigh. Suddenly, the mirror starts to get foggy. Sungwoon watches in surprise as the letter O is written on the fogged up mirror. 

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Jihoon moves quickly, trying to find the letter as quickly as possible. They had no time to waste. The killer could be watching and Jihoon really didn't want to run into the man again. The last time was the opposite of enjoyable. He shivers, the memory of the man's hands around his neck lingering in his mind. He shakes his head and picks up the pace. He can't think about that now. He has to focus on finding that letter. He turns the corner and looks around the area. When he doesn't spot anything, he moves to another section of the maze. "It may do you some good to check the room a little better. You're skimming it like a student would with an assigned reading," A voice says. Jihoon's eyes widen as he searches for the source of the voice. The only thought running through his head is that he may be in danger. "Jeez, don't get your panties in a twist," The Reflection, "I'm right behind you..." Jihoon whirls around instantly, only to be met with a mirror and his reflection. The vocalist lets out a sigh of relief and the Reflection shakes his head. "I can't believe how scared you are," The Reflection says.

Jihoon's eyes narrow, "I'm not scared. I'm just being cautious."

"Because you're scared," The Reflection states.

Jihoon huffs, "What would you know? You're just my reflection..."

"Yeah, the reflection that's currently talking to you," The Reflection says, "Give me some credit. I know a lot more. I know how you're becoming a weak link."

"What did you just call me?" Jihoon asks, his face showing annoyance. 

The Reflection sighs, "A weak link. Puny. Frail. Powerless...do you need more examples?"

Jihoon glares at the reflection, "I'm none of those words."

"Ha," The Reflection smirks, "Yes, you are. Those marks on you is evidence to that." Jihoon bites his lip and gingerly touches the bruises around his neck. He shakes his head and his hands drop to his sides. He clenches his hands into fists, "I'm not. I'm strong."

"You have a funny way of showing your strength. Throughout this entire journey, it seems you leaned on Choi Seungcheol a lot," The Reflection says, "You were always in danger too. Easily overpowered. Easily defeated. The mummy dealt with you in seconds. You didn't even notice when the killer was creeping up on you. You couldn't do anything except flail around like a fish out of water when his hands were tightening around your throat." 

"Shut up," Jihoon states, his voice wavering.

"Ooooo...looks like Jihoonie is starting to believe me," The Reflection says with an amused smile, "It's plain to see, Jihoon. You're just a weakling. You can't fend for yourself. You always need to turn to someone else for help. You would've been dead if it wasn't for Choi Seungcheol. Eve saw this right away and that's why she decided to shock you first. You fell to the ground so fast. You always fall so fast, not even strong enough to keep yourself on your two feet. It's sad. Pathetic. I don't even know why Eve decided to bring you into this story. It's clear you weren't cut out for this. You're just that character that continuously gets hurt so the reader can pity them. That's all you are. A pitiful character. A pitiful person."

"Did I not say to shut up!?" Jihoon shouts, "I'm not any of the things you said. I'm not! I'm not weak. I'm not pathetic! Yes, I got hurt, but that doesn't mean anything. The thing is that I don't let those things stop me from fighting. I don't let these injuries define who I am as a person. I use it as motivation to keep fighting harder. I don't see it as a reason to give up or hide. That's what makes me strong. Yes, I've needed Seungcheol hyung's help. There's no shame in asking for help. Only the strongest are willing to admit that they need help. Only the strong will realize that by asking for help and getting assistance makes them stronger." Jihoon's eyes shine with fire in them as he speaks to the Reflection. The Reflection can only watch in amusement as the small vocalist goes on. "Okay, okay, I get it. You're not weak," The Reflection says, "Who knew you would take so much offense to being called pathetic? Hold onto that fire, Lee Jihoon. Keep that spirt. You're going to need it. Just as much as you are going to need a lot of luck. There are things to come. You need to be ready." With that said, the reflection disappears. Jihoon frowns with the last parting words from the Reflection. It leaves him with an eerie feeling that he feels in the pit of his stomach. All off a sudden, something hits Jihoon's shoulder. He stiffens, expecting something bad to have found him. He bites his lip and slowly turns around. He visably relaxes when he sees it's nothing expect a foam block with the letter N on it. 

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

The group meet outside after with their letters. They start unscrambling them instantly. They place the items with the letters on them onto the floor. They move it around, trying to make a name. As they do, they talk about the experience they all went through inside the maze. They are surprised to find that what they all went through is somewhat similar to each other. "It was weird. It was different than the other challenges we faced," Seungcheol comments. 

"You're right. Nothing was coming after us. There was really no villain for us to face," Jisung says, "I expected to be chased by some mirror monster, but instead I had a conversation with my reflection."

Sungwoon nods, "It was different, but the same. All the other times we faced off against something. This time we did as well. It wasn't like the others as we were facing off someone in a physical sense. This time we were facing off against our inner fears and self-doubts. Our reflections showed that part of ourselves. The other side of ourselves that had these worries and beliefs. We faced another challenge, but it was our own inner battles that had to be conquered." The others stare at Sungwoon and nod their heads, realizing the weight of what they had all just went through. "C'mon, what matters is that we finished it," Sungwoon says, "Let's find this victim's name." After a few more minutes of shuffling the letters around, the group gets a name. "Haewon," Hyeongjun says, "Is it right?" The book that they had placed onto the floor starts to glow. Jungkook goes to grab it and tilts his head away from the blinding light as he opens it up. As the light dies down, it reveals a picture is printed onto the book. Jungkook nods his head and gestures for the rest to gather around. They look at the picture and are once more disgusted with what they see. A female with multiple knives stabbed into her body is stuck to the bathroom door, blood drips below her and her head hangs down. The boys look at the picture for as short a time as possible, trying to avoid the gruesome scene. "Great," Jihoon says, "We got the name right. We found the body. I'm actually kind of glad for the picture, at least we don't have to look at the actual thing."

Jungkook is still looking at the picture and shakes his head, "We have to go to the bathroom. We need to look at the actual body."

"What, why?" Jihoon asks, "The picture is a fine representation of the real thing and I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't wish to see another dead body."

"We have to," Jungkook says, pointing to a letter in the victim's pocket in the picture, "We need that note. It could be our clue to finding who the killer is and closing this story for good." The boys all groan, not looking forward to seeing another body. The guys trudge over to the bathroom and when they arrive they are just as grossed out as they thought they would be. Jungkook passes the book to Jisung and goes towards the body. He winces as he reaches for the note. He pulls it out as his hands touch it and he rushes over to where the group stands. The letter has already been opened, so Jungkook slips the paper out of the envelope. Jungkook clears his throat and starts to read, "Dear Haewon. It's been a while hasn't it. I wonder if you even recognize who is writing this letter to you. You probably don't remember. After all, that's the whole topic of this letter. We used to be friends during grade school. Me, you, the others. We would do everything together. We were the closest friend group ever. We thought we would be together forever, the six of us. Except, we had to split up for college. Before this, we made a promise to each other. We said that we would stay in contact, stay friends, and always be there for one another if we needed it. The thing is that you broke the promise. You and our other friends. I guess only your friends now, because you all somehow forgot about me. I called. I messaged. You didn't answer. No one answered. Do you not remember me? We were close, how could you forget me? I needed you all and you weren't there. I was alone. You have no idea how that feels. No idea what it's like to be ignored by people you had called you're friends. If I had to describe how it felt, I guess it would be the way it's going to feel when I kill you. I'll see you soon, Haewon. Your friend, Shiwon." Before anyone can say anything about the letter, things start to happen in a blur. It happens so fast that none of the boys have time to react. A knife arcs through the air and hits the paper, ripping it from Jungkook's hand and embedding itself and the weapon into the all. The boys can only watch as the youngest lets out a piercing scream as he is grabbed by the killer. A gun cock can be heard as the black weapon is placed on Hyeongjun's temple. The killer glares at them all, tightening his grip on the young idol. The boys' eyes widen as they start to realize what is happening. They're screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun! Dun! Dun! Cliffhanger! I hope that you liked this chapter. Things are definitely getting a bit nuts and a bit crazy. Maybe, more than a bit. If you liked this chapter, please look forward to the next ones. I'll be posting more tomorrow on Halloween. If you're all going trick or treating, have fun and be safe. Please comment, leave kudos and check out my BTS AU Ripple. Until tomorrow my lovely readers.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have much to say, let's just get into it. Oh, happy Halloween.

"Did I not tell you all to stop searching!?" The killer shouts, pressing the barrel of the gun closer to Hyeongjun's head. The younger whimpers and tears start to fill his eyes. "Hyungs! Help!" He whines. The killer huffs and tightens his grip on the young idol. "Shut the hell up if you don't want to me blow your brains out right this second," The killer states. Hyeongjun closes his mouth, but continues to look at his hyungs with desperation. The others look to one another, hoping that one of them has a plan. "You just had to keep searching, didn't you? You couldn't have just called it quits. Why did you have to be so freaking nosy!? Why!? You could've just walked away when I gave you the chance. Why didn't you take that?!" The killer yells, "You saw what I did to the other victims. Did you think I couldn't do the freaking same for you!

"Shiwon!" Jungkook shouts, "We know who you are. We're going to tell the cops what you did. Let Hyeongjun go. It's too late for you to get away with this." 

The killer shakes his head, "That's where you're wrong. You won't be telling the cops anything. If you so much as utter a word, Hyeongjun is going to get a bullet right through his noggin..." Hyeongjun pales after hearing those words and tears flow down his cheeks. The guys look at one another and the killer in front of them. What are they supposed to do? They couldn't let the killer just get away with the youngest, but they couldn't call the cops either or else they would be risking Hyeongjun's life. "I'm going to do something stupid," Jihoon mutters, loud enough for only the group to hear. 

"What are you talking about?" Seungcheol says, turning to look at Jihoon. The short vocalist looks to his friend with a small smile. "I'm going to get Hyeongjun out of there. I'm also going to give you some time to think of an actual plan to defeat the villain and end this story," Jihoon says, "I'll be okay, alright, Cheollie. This is just a part of my character arc. This needs to happen." Seungcheol looks to Jihoon with confusion, not understanding what the younger means. The others watch as the small producer moves to the front of the group. "Stop!" Jihoon shouts, "Let Hyeongjun go!"

"In what world does someone like me give up his leverage against his enemies?" The killer questions. 

"You would do it for a trade. You said you liked me. Well, I'll go with you willingly, but only if you let Hyeongjun and my friends go," Jihoon announces. The killer's eyes narrow a little suspicious of the offer. The murderer considers his choices for a second more before nodding his head, "Deal." Seungcheol's eyes widen and he moves to grab onto Jihoon. "You can't do this, Hoonie. There's another way around this," Seungcheol says, gripping onto his arm.

Jihoon shakes his head, "I said before this needs to happen. There's no way around this."

"Are you backing out of our deal?" The killer asks, "Cause if you are...I'll just shoot the kid now." Jihoon shrugs Seungcheol's hands off of him and walks towards the killer. Shiwon, the murderer, does a smooth sort of dance. He pushes Hyeongjun to the group with strong force before grabbing onto Jihoon and holding a gun to his head. The group can only watch as this all unfolds before their eyes. Hyeongjun rushes over to Sungwoon, who starts to comfort the younger. Shiwon glares at the group and starts to back away from the group. "You're lucky that Jihoon made this decision for you. Take this as your saving grace. You better not get yourself more involved than you already are. Or else I'll kill Jihoon in front of you and then murder each of you one by one." Shiwon quickly makes his way out of the amusement park with Jihoon in tow. None of the boys speak, they just stare at the spot where the murderer once was trying to comprehend everything. "What the hell just happened?" Jisung asks, breaking the silence. 

"W-why d-did hyung do that?" Hyeongjun questions, "I would've been okay. He didn't have to give himself up like that..."

Seungcheol shakes his head, "I don't know. I don't know what just happened. I don't know why he did that. I don't know what to do."

"We go after him!" Sungwoon says, "We're not leaving Jihoon with Shiwon. He's a crazy killer. That note that he sent is insane. We can't just leave our friend with that guy." 

"We can't just chase after him. You heard what Shiwon said. He'll kill Jihoon hyung," Jisung exclaims.

"Guys, calm down. This is actually a good thing," Jungkook says. 

Seungcheol's eyes narrow, "In what world is Jihoon getting captured a good thing?" 

"Cause what he did, helps us. Jihoon hyung sacrificed himself for a reason. Shiwon said we were lucky, he has no idea how lucky we actually are. Jihoon hyung bought us time," Jungkook says, "He's given us time to piece together this mystery. Now that the freaking killer isn't stalking us, we can figure it all out. We can find out who this guy is. His credentials, the reason he did all this and who knows what else."

"So, what?" Seungcheol asks, "How is this going to benefit us in any way?" 

"It gives us time to gather info on Shiwon. It gives us info on the type of person he is. His history. His family. His current place of living," Jungkook says. 

Seungcheol's eyes widen, "Where he took Jihoon."

"Bingo. We piece together this as fast as we can and we can save Jihoon hyung and put an end to this story," Jungkook says, "That's how this story ends. We reveal who this guy really is and take him down." 

"Let's do it," Hyeongjun says with a newfound determination on his face. 

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

"Okay, what do we know so far?" Sungwoon asks. 

"The killer's name is Shiwon and he killed all of his former best friends because they forgot about him," Seungcheol says. 

"This guy has to be crazy or something," Jisung says, "Losing contact with old friends is always a possibility. You can't hold a grudge like that...it'll turn you into someone vengeful."

"Well, that's exactly what happened with Shiwon," Jungkook says, "Don't forget the promise the friends made. I know how much strength promises can hold. I guess Shiwon treated it as an unbreakable agreement between them."

"There's still something missing here," Hyeongjun says, "The way that Shiwon worded the letter made it seem like something bad happened and that's why he's going after them all. Not just the fact that they broke the promise, but how he needed them and they weren't there. Why would he suddenly need them unless something went wrong?" 

"The only way to find that out is if we have Shiwon's full name. We can search him up online or something," Sungwoon states. 

Jungkook nods, "And the only way to find his name...is if we have that yearbook from the library." 

"We can't rush off to the library. We don't have time for that. Jihoon is in the hands of a killer!" Seungcheol shouts. 

"Okay...okay...calm down, Seungcheol," Sungwoon says, "We'll find some other way to get his name." 

Seungcheol frowns, "I am calm." 

"Sure," Sungwoon whispers. Hyeongjun moves to Sungwoon's side and starts to tug on his sleeve. "What?" Sungwoon asks. Hyeongjun points to the book which is glowing purple once more. The group surround it and flinch when the book flies open. A large gust of wind blows and the group use their arms to shield them. As it dies down, the group look back at the book. The book lies open, but there are items stacked on top of it. The phone, the letter, Polaroids, and the yearbook. "How?" Jisung asks, staring at the items that have magically appeared. 

"Eve," Jungkook says, "Why would she do this?" Hyeongjun bends down and starts to move the things from off the book. He looks down at the page and starts to read, "Don't say I never do anything for you. I have your best interests at heart."

Seungcheol scoffs, "Our best interests are back in our homes safe and sound." 

"As much as we disagree with your latter statement, Eve, we are thankful for you supplying us with our clues," Sungwoon says loudly. 

"Let's get to searching than," Jungkook says. The group each take one of the items and start to look at them. Jisung ends up with the phone which doesn't do much since it's still locked. Sungwoon is flipping through the yearbook, trying to find a Shiwon. Jungkook is rereading the letter Shiwon sent to make sure they didn't miss anything. Seungcheol and Hyeongjun look through the Polaroids, reading the sharpie words on the back and what the image is of. "I got it!!!" Sungwoon exclaims, "His name is Kan Shiwon!" 

"That's got to be the name crossed out on the back of this Polaroid," Hyeongjun says, holding up the picture they looked at before.

"What does he look like?" Seungcheol asks, "The guy at the cafe has a bunch of pictures from his school days. Shiwon has to be in some of them." Sungwoon nods and tilts the yearbook in Seungcheol's direction. Shiwon's school picture is similar to anyone else's, embarrassing and hopefully forgotten. "There's a bunch," Seungcheol says, picking out pictures with Shiwon in them. 

Jisung takes some from Seungcheol and looks at them curiously, "He looks happy. Nothing like he did when we met him..."

"It's cause back than he still had his friends. He still had joy," Sungwoon says.

"We need to find what killed that joy," Jungkook says, looking up from the letter, "It had to be something bad. I would have never expected someone like that to write a letter like this." 

"We know his name now," Hyeongjun says, "There can't be that many Kan Shiwons in Korea. It's not that common a name."

"I'll see what I can find," Jisung says, tossing the victim's phone to the side and whipping out his own. The others go through the pictures as Jisung consults the internet. "Oh. My. Gosh," Jisung says with wide eyes. 

"What?" Seungcheol asks, "What did you find?

"Kan Shiwon is a scientist. He was working on human evolution. He was trying to create the ideal human through this sort of serum," Jisung explains, "People could become smarter, quicker, and stronger. They would be the ideal soldiers and leaders. All by injecting some sort of serum that added information to your DNA. 

"How come we've never heard about this? It sounds like a huge discovery," Jungkook says. 

Jisung frowns, "That's cause they tried to hide it from the press. The project is no longer active. It failed. Apparently, there was this big accident during human trials. They gave the serum to a man. It made him super strong, but he had no mind. He was basically a bumbling hunk of muscle. He went around the lab destroying things, not even noticing what he was doing. It was then that they started to investigate Shiwon's research. Turns out, that he was using strands from different narcotics and mixing it with his serum. The narcotic added with the serum created this weird mixture that limits one person's ability to do something, but increases another. Shiwon said that in order to have an excess of something, you need to have less of something else."

"Are you saying that if someone wants to be super smart they need to give up their physical health?" Hyeongjun asks. 

Jisung nods, "Basically. When the feds heard about this, they shut it all down. Raided the place, left it in ruins. Shiwon had invested a lot of time, effort, and money into the project. When it was shut down, he lost pretty much everything. People shunned him for his ways of creating the serum and he struggled long after."

"I guess it all makes sense than," Sungwoon says, "Following the incident at his labs, he called his friends. He probably had hoped they would help him out of his situation. When he didn't get a response, he felt bitter. From failure, to losing your life's work, to all of your friends ignoring you. I kind of understand why Shiwon turned out the way he did." Jisung nods and shuts off his phone, slipping it back into his pocket. The others sigh and slowly get to their feet. "What now?" Seungcheol asks, "I don't have any idea where Shiwon could be with the information we found out."

"I have an idea. It's a bit of a stretch, but what if he's at his old lab," Hyeongjun suggests. 

Jungkook shakes his head, "It's not a stretch at all. I wouldn't doubt that Shiwon is in his lab. The way he obsessed over his friends breaking a promise from years ago. I wouldn't put it past him to keep the project he invested everything into close."

"Let's head to the lab than," Seungcheol states, "Jisung, did you get the location?"

"Oh, yeah, it's actually pretty close by. We should be able to get there in a little less than an hour if we walk," Jisung says. 

"Wait a minute, aren't we being a bit hasty?" Sungwoon asks, "What do we plan to do when we get there?" 

"Save Jihoon hyung," Hyeongjun says simply. 

Sungwoon frowns, "Do you think that Shiwon is just going to give Jihoon up?"

"We're going to have to fight him," Jungkook says. 

"What!? I thought this was just going to be a rescue mission. I can't fight to save my life. None of us can, really. We're idols. How are we supposed to fight against a killer!?" Jisung exclaims. 

Seungcheol clenches his fists, "We won't get far if we just run into their fists flying. Shiwon would shoot us instantly."

"Well, maybe, we need weapons of our own," Jungkook says, his eyes widening, "Oh, Eve...." 

"Hyung, do you actually think that's going to work?" Hyeongjun asks as a piece of Halloween decoration glows purple. The boys make their way over to it and see that it is a treasure chest. Jungkook slowly lifts open the lid. The chest is filled with a wide assortment of weapons, ranging from arrows to a pistol. There's also a paper on top of a large machine gun. Jungkook picks it up and reads aloud, "I'm only giving you this so that there's an actual fight at the end of the story. It would be anticlimactic if you just died." 

Seungcheol sighs and shrugs, "Whatever, we got weapons. Let's go and save Jihoon. And finally be done with this story." The guys rush to the chest of weapons like children on Christmas day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am such a mean person! I am putting Jihoon through so much. My poor Jihoonie. It's okay, the boys will save you. I promise. I can't actually promise that cause that would be lying.....oops. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. If you did please comment, follow me, vote, add this story to your library, and check out my BTS AU Night of Sin. Please have a fun and safe Halloween! Bye!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter for today. I hope that you're all enjoying Halloween. I'm currently at my cousin's house, not trick or treating, but rather studying cause my teacher decided a test the day after Halloween is a great idea. I'm not bitter. Anyway, I've been posting this story relatively quickly. The reason for it is that this story is for Halloween. It's not really Halloween if I spread out my update schedule. I've been working on this story for a while, I was hoping to finish it up quickly, but it took longer. That's why it's all coming so fast. Nonetheless, I hope you're enjoying the story. Let's get into it.

The boys stand in front of a large building that looks run down. The windows are broken and there is moss growing in the wooden bricks. The doors are chained up and it looks like no one has been there in years. There is also a gate surrounding the facility, which the group all climbed over fairly easily. "Are we sure this is the place?" Hyeongjun asks, "It looks like no one's been here."

"Well, Shiwon can't exactly clean the place up. I assure you that he isn't supposed to be here," Seungcheol says, "But, if your thought holds true, he's in there with Jihoon. C'mon, no time to waste. Seungcheol starts to walk towards the entrance followed by the others. He holds a large gun with rounds stashed into his pocket. Yes, he has no real idea how to use it or if he will use it, but he's prepared to do anything to get Jihoon back. He also has a pair of nunchucks stashed in his pants. He's learned a thing or two on how to use them from Minghao, but he wasn't that good. The nunchucks were another option if he ran out of bullets, the last option because the second he starts swinging them there is a high chance of it colliding with his nuts. Sungwoon has daggers in his hands as well as extra kunai stowed away. Jisung holds a small pistol and some throwing stars in his hands. Jungkook has hard padding gear all over his body and his wrapped around his knuckles are metal pieces. Hyeongjun avoided all of the weapons with points and that can fire. He settles for a simple baseball bat. It may not be much, but in the end, it would do the trick. The boys don't notice that they are being watched from the security cameras around the facility by the very man they are hoping to get the drop on.

The boys keep alert as they creep into the broken down lab. The lights flicker and there's plastic sheets covering things all over the place. "Where do we go?" Jungkook asks from the back of the group. Seungcheol looks around and something catches his eye. He approaches something on the wall and rips the sheet covering it. It reveals a map that others move to look at. "It's a pretty big place," Sungwoon comments, "Jihoon could be anywhere."

"Do you think that Shiwon's keeping Jihoon near him?" Jisung asks, "Cause if so, than I think they're here. The young rapper points to a private lab on the third floor. "It's a possibility," Jungkook says, "He said he took a liking to Jihoon."

"Do you think he's torturing, Jihoon hyung?" Hyeongjun asks with a worried expression. 

"I think he's doing experiments on him," Jisung says bluntly. 

Seungcheol's eyes widen, "What!?"

"It sound terrible, but we'll stop it before it happens. You know how Shiwon's life was ruined because of his failure with his serum. He's hounded on that fact for a long time. He's still in this place, most likely. I think he's been creating another serum to prove that it can actually work without the side effects of the use of narcotics," Jisung says, "I could be wrong, I hope I am, but I think that we should check that lab first." 

"Fine," Seungcheol says, "If what you said is true, let's get Jihoon before he's tested on. I don't trust this guy at all." The boys head off to the stairs and make their way up it. The creep towards the lab with their weapons raised. When they reach the door, they all take a deep breath before kicking the door in. The rush in with their weapons pointed straight. In the room is Shiwon standing over a passed out Jihoon. He has a needle poised above Jihoon's neck that contains a bluish liquid. "Drop the freaking needle, Kan Shiwon!" Seungcheol shouts, pointing the gun at the former scientist. 

Shiwon rolls his eyes and slowly lowers his arm, "You all must have hearing problems. Did I not tell you all to stay away from me!?"

"Yeah, did you actually think that we were going to let you get away with Jihoon," Sungwoon says, ready to fling the knife at the man. 

Shiwon sighs, "Do you not remember what happens if you come here?" 

Jungkook makes fists, "We won't let you hurt Jihoon."

"Cute. You all think you can fight me," Shiwon states with a shake of his head, "I'm giving you one last chance to leave. Either take it or I will kill you all."

Hyeongjun shifts his grip on his bat, "Why are you doing this, Shiwon? None of this was necessary."

"Of course it was little boy," Shiwon says, "You see. You don't understand what failure is like. You all succeeded. You achieved your dreams and you perform on stage. I didn't. My dreams got taken from me. One second my future is right in front of me. The next it's completely gone. You have no idea what I've been through. What it feels like for your entire life's work to be seemed dangerous and unsafe. To be called an atrocity that should never exist. I lost everything."

"That doesn't make it okay for you to kill your own childhood friends!" Jisung shouts.

Shiwon's face contorts with anger, "They broke their promise! They saw what happened to me! They should've helped me! I texted and called. They hung up on me! They left me on read! I sent letters and never heard back! I've come to visit and they didn't even notice it was me! They ignored me! They didn't give me the time of day! They had this coming. They should've known better than to shun me! No one cared after what happened. I was alone! My family turned their backs on me! My friends acted like they had never even met me! Do you understand how that feels!? Of course you don't! You have a billion of fans cheering your names. They could never forget about you! Not like me. Not like they forgot about me!!!!!" 

"I understand why you're upset. You've been through a lot. I know what failure feels like," Sungwoon says, "And it hurts like hell, but you can't let that stop you. You need to keep going. You can't just take out your anger by killing people."

"Too late. I already have and I don't plan on stopping," Shiwon says, "First, I'll deal with the six of you. Then, I'll deal with my family. And maybe, I'll go after the people that shut down my operation."

"Please don't do this, Shiwon," Sungwoon says, trying to reason with the killer. 

Shiwon cackles, "Who do you think you are? A therapist? You're not changing my mind. This isn't some story where the villain just surrenders." The group grit their teeth, preparing to fight the murderer. Shiwon smirks and reaches into his side pocket. He pulls out a pistol and starts to fire it. The boys scatter, taking cover. Shiwon continues to fire, laughing as he does so. Sungwoon peeks from behind a lab table and grips one of his knifes. He takes a deep breath and throws it at Shiwon's hand. The knife misses the killer's hand but hits the side of his hand instead. It's still effective as Shiwon drops the gun. The killer hisses in pain as he rips the knife out causing blood to flow from the wound. "Nice hit, hyung!" Jisung whispers. Sungwoon smiles, proud of his work. Shiwon lets out a growl and moves to attack Jihoon. Seungcheol reacts instantly, firing off his gun. Although missing horrifically, it is enough to make Shiwon rush away from Jihoon. Shiwon backs away from the fire and Jungkook stands nearby ready. He swings his fist right at Shiwon's gut and the man stumbles backwards. Jisung rushes to behind Shiwon and slams the butt of his pistol to his head. Shiwon stumbles around, looking rather disoriented. The killer shakes his head and he glares at Jungkook. He reaches into his pockets and slips on brass knuckles. He swipes at Jungkook, who side steps the blows. Jungkook makes his own attacks, but can't seem to land a hit. Jisung is hiding behind the chair that Jihoon is passed out on. He watches Jungkook and Shiwon fight one another. Shiwon lets out a choke as Jungkook makes contact with his neck. He retaliates without a second thought and aims his fist right a Jungkook's face. The singer's neck snaps back and blood spurts from his nose. Jungkook stumbles backwards and covers his nose with his hand. He winces in pain as Shiwon approaches him again and kicks him in the gut. Jungkook groans and the rest stare in shock. Hyeongjun shivers from his spot behind the trash can. He holds his bat close to him, too scared to confront Shiwon. Meanwhile, Jisung grabs one of his throwing stars and aims it towards Shiwon. It hits his back and the killer stiffens in pain. He growls before turning around and charging at Jisung. The young rapper's eyes widen and he takes a couple of steps backwards. He quickly grabs another throwing star and tosses it at Shiwon. This one doesn't hit its mark and Shiwon continues running to attack Jisung. Jisung stumbles as he tries to flee. His foot hits a wire and he trips. He looks up and prepares to be hit. Before he can be, Seungcheol comes to cover him with a rain of bullets aimed at Shiwon. The killer grits his teeth, but continues forward. The bullets don't hit him square on, but do graze him, leaving cuts on his body. Shiwon moves slower, being careful to not get shot. Jisung scrambles away from the two, going back to his hiding spot. Seungcheol shoots more and more bullets with fire in his eyes. Soon enough, Shiwon stands right in front of the leader. Seungcheol's gun had run out of bullets and he tries to reach for more rounds, cursing under his breath. Shiwon acts before Seungcheol can. He punches the young man in the chest. As Seungcheol staggers back from the blow, Shiwon grabs his weapon and slams it against a lab table. The gun breaks apart as if it were just a wooden pencil. Seungcheol curses again and reaches to grab the nunchucks. He has them in his hand before Shiwon can get back to him. He swings them around, still looking a tad bit awkward with the weapon. Shiwon scoffs, "You're going to hit yourself down there..."

"Ha. Ha," Seungcheol states before swinging the weapon to Shiwon's side. The killer's eyes widen since he never expected Seungcheol to even land a single blow on him. Shiwon recovers quickly and swipes at Seungcheol. He sidesteps and swings his nunchuk at Shiwon's face. The killer groans and grasps his face in pain. Seungcheol smirks and aims the nunchuk at Shiwon's you know. Shiwon groans instantly and crumples to the ground in pain. Seungcheol nods his head, "What were you saying about us not standing a chance?" The leader moves to where Jihoon is sitting and gently shakes the small vocalist. "Jihoonie....wake up," Seungcheol whispers. Jisung comes out from his hiding spot as do Hyeongjun and Sungwoon. Jungkook stumbles a little, still a bit out of it from Shiwon's blow. "Is everyone else okay?" Jisung asks. The rest of them all nod. Seungcheol nudges Jihoon more and more. The younger doesn't stir. Seungcheol frowns and starts to get really worried. Sungwoon's brow furrows, "Is he okay." Seungcheol shakes his head, his eyes starting to tear up. "Please, Jihoonie. Wake up," Seungcheol says in an urgent tone. The boys all focus on Jihoon, waiting for him to awaken. As more time passes, they all start to lose hope and the mood turns solemn. Seungcheol lets his head hang in defeat. Suddenly, a small whisper escapes from Jihoon's mouth, "Behind you..." Seungcheol's eyes widen and he whips around to see Shiwon charging at him with a knife. Seungcheol looks around for his nunchucks frantically. Jisung stands nearby him and fires his pistol. His hand is shaking so much that he doesn't meet his mark. He drops the weapon as he runs out of rounds. Shiwon lets out a yell as he aims his knife at Seungcheol's heart. He is centimeters away from his target before a loud crack noise rings throughout the the lab. Shiwon crumples to the ground, revealing the one who attacked the murderer. Hyeongjun stands there with his bat gripped in his hands. The youngest lets out a sigh and lowers his arms. The bat drops to the floor and Hyeongjun flashes them all a small smile. "I love you, Hyeongjun," Jisung says, relaxing. Sungwoon and Jungkook move behind Hyeongjun. Sungwoon places his hands on his shoulder and gently squeezes it, "Good job." Seungcheol eyes the fallen Shiwon and nods, finally feeling as if he's safe. As if they're all safe. Like it's all finally over. Jihoon shifts a little and groans. Seungcheol's eyes fall to his friend and he starts to fuss over him. Jihoon groans again, annoyed with Seungcheol's endless concerns. "Hyeongjun...thanks for not letting Cheollie here get stabbed," Jihoon whispers with his eyes partially cracked open, "I may act like I don't like him, but I don't know what I'd do without this idiot. You did well, Hyeongjun-ah..." 

"You're welcome and thanks..." Hyeongjun says, "Are you okay, Jihoon hyung?" 

Jihoon slowly nods and sits up with the help of Seungcheol, "I'm fine. Just too much chloroform and sleeping drugs and whatever other thing freaking Shiwon injected me with so I wouldn't put up a fight while he made me his lab rat." 

"Well, Shiwon is now down for the count," Jisung exclaims, "We did it guys. We took down the bad guy! We finished the story! We can all go home!!!!"

"All that's left to do is call the cops," Jungkook says, already dialing the number into his phone. After what seems like days of endless adventure, they could go back to their normal lives. At least, more normal than the lives of characters of a murder mystery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they did it! Things are finally solved and they can finally go back to their lives! Or can they? There's still more to the story. This isn't the last chapter. If you could, please show me some support by voting, following me, adding this story to your library, commenting, and checking out my BTS AU Ripple. See you in the next chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter is here! I want to say thank you to all those who have read my story. It really does mean a lot. There isn't a ton of chapters, but it was a fun journey to go on with all of you. Let's get into it.

The boys stand outside the lab, getting their wounds cleaned and patched by the ambulances. They can see someone attending to Shiwon. The killer had woken up a couple minutes prior and wasn't too happy to be in handcuffs. He hasn't stopped struggling against the doctors and the police stood nearby the killer. Other cops have been taking the boys statements, trying to piece together everything that Shiwon has done. After a while longer, the group is left alone in the front of the lab. They all sit on the floor, staring at the sky. "We did it," Sungwoon says, "We finished the story."

"Yeah, I'm really tired," Jihoon says, "All of that was more adventure than I needed for an entire year."

"Ditto," Jisung sighs, "I'm going to sleep in my bed for three days and try to erase all of those dead bodies I saw from my mind."

"It's crazy. I never thought we would get to the end. I was so scared one of us would get hurt..." Hyeongjun mutters. 

Sungwoon gently pats his shoulder, "Don't worry. We're done. We finished. We're a little banged up, but we're all still alive. We all made it through this ridiculous story."

"Are we sure it's over?" Seungcheol asks, "I'm so scared that Eve is just going to throw us another loop." 

Jungkook shakes his head, "I looked at the book while they were checking me up. It said, and I quote, the group of six exhausted beyond belief discovered the truth and can finally rest, even though things will never be the same as they were before." 

"Well, that makes me feel much better," Jihoon says with a roll of his eyes. 

Sungwoon sighs, "It is true though. We're going to just pretend like none of this happened. No one else will know since it all was just a story, but we do. We went through it all." The group don't talk after this, realizing the truth in those words. The things they went through wasn't some fun vacation. It was rather traumatizing and not enjoyable in the slightest. This is something that's going to stick with them for a long time. "We can always talk to one another about it," Hyeongjun says, "Right?"

"Right," Jisung says, "We're not going to be like Shiwon's friends. We'll all be there for each other." The boys nod their heads in agreement. Sungwoon's gaze shifts to the book which lays on the floor besides Jungkook. He stares at it and his eyes widen. "We never figured out our own mystery. We never figured out who Eve really is. We never got the chance to figure out how this story thing is even possible," Sungwoon exclaims. Realization dawns on all of the boy's faces. How could they have forgotten? Well, they were kind of wrapped up with the whole killer kidnapping Jihoon thing. Suddenly, the book starts to glow a bright purple. The guys all cover their eyes and Jihoon groans, "Not again...what now?" 

"You all did very well. It turned out to be an interesting story. It was a bit slow at times, but other than that you were all great characters. I know you all seem pretty bummed about not finding out more about me or why I do things. It's alright though, you won't remember anything anyway," Eve says in a clear voice. The light increases I'm size and the group can't do anything as it swallows them whole. 

──────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹──────

Jungkook sits up with sweat on his forehead. He pants and looks around. He's lying in his bed with his covers strewn all over the place. It's around 9 in the morning and sun is streaming in through the pulled back shades. Jungkook rubs his eyes as he takes in his surroundings. When did he get to his room? The last thing he remembers is someone...Eve talking to the the group. Next thing he knows, he's waking up at home. Jungkook's brow furrows, did none of that actually happen? Was all of that just a dream? A figment of Jungkook's imagination. Jungkook shakes his head, it had felt so real. All dreams did, he guessed. Suddenly, his bedroom door creeks open and Namjoon sticks his head through the doorway. "Hey, I saw your stuff in the living room. I didn't know you were coming back so soon. You were only gone for like two days," The leader says. 

"Two day?" Jungkook asks, "What do you mean, hyung?"

"You must still be in dreamland. You were taking part in some special variety show with other idols," Namjoon states, "No idea what it was about, but you took the offer."

"I did..." Jungkook murmurs, feeling something off with the story. 

"Yeah, are you alright, Kook?" Namjoon asks. 

Jungkook nods, "I'm fine. Just a weird dream." 

"Must've been some dream. You seem real out of it," Namjoon says bluntly. 

Jungkook sighs, "Thanks." Maybe, all that had happened was just a dream. He had never unraveled mysteries or sought after a murderer. He never got chased by Nazis or attacked by the killer. He never was part of any story. Was it all just in his head? "Hey," Namjoon says, snapping the younger from his thoughts, "Did you fall or something?" 

"Huh?" Jungkook asks, confused. 

Namjoon walks over to him and taps his nose. Jungkook hisses in pain and his eyes widen. "Your nose is all bruised..." Namjoon states. Jungkook frowns, thinking back to how the killer had slammed his fist into Jungkook's face. But, it had all been just a dream. Right? 

To be continued (possibly)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short conclusion chapter that I hope you all liked. As you can see, I said to be continued at the end. This depends on all of you. If you would like to see a sequel and if this story gets a lot of love, I will definitely be making more parts. So please, if you want to see more from this world, comment, leave kudos, add this story to your library, and check out my other stories. Thank you all once again for all the support you've given this story. Until the next one! Bye.


	9. Rewrite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's going to happen with this story

Thank you for those who did support this story

I am very thankful for you

Still, I am not satisfied with the way this turned out

I rushed it and it's not my best work

And for that reason, I will be rewriting it

Maybe not right away or maybe not at all

But, do know that it will be rewritten

Until then, this story will remain here, but will be deleted when I start anew

Thank you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please continue to support me 
> 
> ~Thank you~

**Author's Note:**

> End of the first chapter! I hope you all liked it. If you don't already know, the characters are Jungkook from BTS, Ha Sungwoon formerly of Wanna One, Song Hyeongjun from X1, Jihoon and Seungcheol from SVT, and Jisung from Stray Kids. I hope that you all look forward to the following chapters and the rest of the story. Play along and solve the clues as you read. Please comment down below what you think. Please also leave kudos and check out my other works. Until next time!


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